Christmas Treasures - Changes of a Lifetime
by smartkid37
Summary: Through the progression of time, two people find that while being true to yourself is everything, it sometimes means accepting change – both within those around you & within yourself. Through time & challenges met, new knowledge is gained & a new understanding & sense of peace is reached, just in time to make this the best Christmas ever. Written Christmas, 2012 for NFA SeSa.
1. Prologue

**_A/N:_** _Set in the calendar year 2012 - though nothing beyond_ _Season 9_ **before **_Penelope Papers_ _is present._

_Written back in 2012 for the NFA Community Secret Santa Exchange - Many, many, MANY thanks to my awesome BETA - at that time - Gottahavemyncis!_

**Warnings**: _This Team has never heard of the Reynosa Cartel, A.J. Barrett or the P2P Killer. and the trip to Mexico, never happened._

_Rating is for later chapters_.

__Posting in time for Christmas – so there should be several chapters posted a day up until it's all here.__

__**CHARACTORS** - Posted (Not kept when it went to post for some odd reason) - Leroy Jethro Gibbs; Tim McGee; Jackson Gibbs & Team Members__

* * *

><p><em>May, 21, 2012<em>

Tim McGee stood at parade rest yet unworried before Leon Vance, as he waited for the Director's answer to his unusual request. Mentally, his mind looped around the hope that the man would see this in the same vein in which Tim had thought of it, as well as the hope that being the father of two kids would help Leon Vance feel the compassionate pull this request brought with it.

NCIS Director Leon Vance sat behind his desk, ever-present toothpick clenched between his teeth as he regarded the MCRT Agent currently standing in front of him, awaiting his answer. Glancing down once more at the written request, he couldn't help but smirk at the irony of the situation. Instead of the Team Leader making this request for the team – here stood the youngest agent on the man's team, asking, in secret, for his team to be given the next Christmas holiday off.

Vance had to admit this team had given their all, been through a hell of a lot and still remained dedicated to their jobs, moreso than most teams. Countless times they'd worked through the nights and days at a time to solve a case, to save a life, or bring closure to a family that wasn't their own. That wasn't to say that the Agency didn't have top notch agents who gave their lives for the job; but this MCRT somehow wound up with the short end of the stick, time and time again, when it came to things like getting an actual holiday off to spend with their families. Maybe it was time the Agency gave back – showed this team that they did matter as people, not just as agents on the job.

"Alright, Agent McGee. I'll agree to this. But your team had better make the most of it, because it's not likely to happen again."

"Thank you, Director." Tim smiled with his gratitude. "This means they'll be able to take advantage of cheaper air fare by firming up their plans ahead of the holiday rush."

"Understood. I'll make sure they get the official memo before the day is out tomorrow. They'll never know it was your idea."

"Thank you."

"Consider it my early Christmas present – to all of you. Go on, get outta here. It's late and the rest of your team is long gone by now."

"Yes. Sir." Tim agreed as he turned and headed out, relieved that things had gone as well as he had hoped. Glancing at his watch, he frowned even while quickening his steps. He'd have to hustle if he was going to be on time to his meeting with the car dealership.


	2. Chapter 1

_Seven Months Later – Friday, Dec 21, 2012 - 1330 Hours_

"Still can't believe the entire team has the week off for Christmas." Tony marveled as he shut down his workstation in preparation for the upcoming week of no work. "Guess there really is a first time for everything, huh?"

"I would not complain if I were you." Ziva warned as she too prepared to leave out. "The Director might think you were not happy about it – and perhaps withdraw the offer."

"Ha! Not likely, Da'vid!" Tony hooted back dryly. "Not even the Grinch would do something so cold."

"Don't push your luck, DiNozzo." Gibbs warned as he breezed in with his fresh cup of coffee. "Go on, all of ya's. Enjoy your holiday. Whatever you do, don't forget to come back on the 31st, bright eyed- bushy-tailed and ready to work."

"Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed?" Ziva wondered with obvious confusion.

"Don't ask, Ziva. Don't ask." Tony warned as he locked up his desk drawers.

"Ziva, enjoy your vacation. Please don't forget to come back this time." Tim half-seriously offered the Israeli member of the team.

"Do not worry, McGee. My home is here now, I will return." Ziva promised him with a slight wave of her hand as she turned to head out. "Gibbs, thank you for requesting this vacation for us…"

"Wasn't me, Ziva. But McGee's right. Don't even think of not coming back to us."

"Well, Boss, if it wasn't you, then who was it?" Tony asked as he paused in his movements, his eyes now glued to those of the Team Leader.

"Don't know, DiNozzo. Didn't ask," Gibbs replied. "What I do know, is that all of us had better enjoy it and appreciate it. It won't happen again, so go on, get outta here before you and Ziva miss your flights!"

"I hear ya, Boss." Tony answered as he headed toward the elevator. "Merry Christmas! DiNozzo is OUT!"

"Merry Christmas, Tony." Tim replied. As he headed toward the elevator on his teammates' heels, he made sure he called out one last thing. "Merry Christmas, Boss."

Gibbs' typical nod of his head spoke of his return of the sentiment more than any words could have and Tim had to smile as he followed in Tony and Ziva's wake to the elevator, the three of them managing to ride it down together without any other passengers.

"I am relieved that we had our team dinner at Ducky's early this year." Ziva remarked.

"Yeah, me too. With Abby heading out of town last night, it wouldn't have seemed right to have it without her." Tim remarked.

"Was great having Breena there with Jimmy before they headed out of town this morning, wasn't it?" Tony added. "Guess she's part of the family now, huh?"

"That she is." Tim agreed as the elevator reached the parking garage level. "It was nice that Jimmy and Breena invited Ducky to spend the week with them out at her parents' place, too. It should be fun for Ducky to get away for a while, not to mention have someone to talk to besides us."

"That's for sure." Walking toward the front door, Tony asked the one thing that had been playing on his mind. "Wonder what Gibbs will be doing this year. He's such a loner, ya know?"

"Tony, I wouldn't worry about Gibbs too much. I'm pretty sure he'll be spending a lot of his vacation time with his dad." Tim pointed out calmly.

"Yeah, you're probably right. They have managed to patch things up pretty well between them."

"So, Tony, are you looking forward to Panama Beach with your Frat Brothers?" Tim changed the subject, never one to feel comfortable talking about Gibbs behind his back.

"Oh, yeah! It's gonna be like Spring Break!" Tony jumped at the chance to celebrate his plans for his week long vacation.

"Only colder?" Tim asked dryly.

"Definitely colder. Keeps the blood flow going, Probie." Tony replied seriously.

"Uh, huh. Yeah. You go have fun with that, alright?"

"McChicken." Tony offered back with a grin. "My flight leaves in just under two hours so in just over seven hours, I'll be basking in the heat of the Florida weather while you're here freezing your cojones off, my friend."

"I'll survive. Seriously, though, Tony – aren't you going to be spending part of your time with your dad? I though the two of you patched things up." Tim asked with concern for his friend's family ties, especially at what was typically considered the holiday of all holidays – the one that typically brings families closer together.

Tony's eyes lost some of their merriment and his smile got just a shade tighter as he attempted to hide how what he had to say in response, affected him. "Nothing to worry about, Probie. My father's never been one to see the sentimental value in a holiday since my mom died, though he did somehow manage to pay for my plane ticket to Florida. Can't expect him to change completely now, can I? That'd be like expecting Gibbs to be able to stop being a loner and find someone he can connect with enough to let them actually get close to him; ya know, even love him?"

"How did we get back to talking about Gibbs?" Ziva finally offered something to the conversation as they reached their parked cars in the garage.

"I don't know. You seem awfully fixated on Gibbs for some reason, Tony. What's up with that?" Tim teased as he planted his feet by Tony's car and stared at the man, unwilling to move until he got an answer.

"Nuthin'! I just think the guy's entitled to a little love in his life, ya know? Kinda like you, Probie! When are you getting' back on that horse?" Tony threw at him, his grin back in place.

"Oh, you mean so you can get your kicks makin' fun of me when I fall off again?" Tim offered wryly. "Thanks, but no thanks. That side-show is over; closed down. Seriously, though, Tony, have a great vacation, alright? Just don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Wow, Probie. You do realize that doesn't leave me with much, right?" Tony reminded him.

Tim shook his head, chuckling before offering an answer. "I know. Just be careful, alright? Can't have you coming back to work all bruised or battered and unable to work because you and your frat brothers got carried away re-living your glory days."

"Yes, Boss." Tony offered flippantly as he turned to Ziva. "You ready to go, our little Ninja-chick?"

"That's right; you two are riding to the airport together." Tim remarked as if he'd forgotten.

"Well, yeah, Probie. Our flights are leaving from the same airport, so it makes sense, don'tcha think?"

"Yeah. Plus you two can keep each other out of trouble while you're waiting to board your flights. Oh, wait; I forgot who I was talkin' to." Tim joked.

"You can relax, McGee. I will not allow Tony to get into any trouble before he leaves." Ziva promised seriously, as she kissed his cheek. "I hope you have a good vacation as well, McGee. I am sorry Penny and Sarah are away for the holiday. Will you be alright? Do you have plans. I have not heard you speak of any as of yet."

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. I've got things to do; plenty of plans made, I promise. Go on, have fun." Tim replied seriously, as he turned to head to his own car so they'd be reassured and not get distracted from their plans. With an encouraging smile, Tim got in his car, waved to his teammates and drove off toward the base main gate, leaving Tony and Ziva behind.

_*****NCIS*****_

Tim smiled as he drove off the Navy Yard towards his apartment. He too, was packed and ready to go since his plans for this week's vacation had been made months ago. He still needed to take care of the final last minute details such as getting his apartment cleaned up and ready for his week long absence, and dropping his dog off with the dog walker who had been happy to take him. But it wasn't the beginning of his vacation that brought the smile to his face and those plans certainly weren't what was keeping the anticipation and joy in his heart; but rather the personal anniversary he was celebrating tonight.

Six months ago tonight, he had experienced the most memorable night of his life, though it had been an unusual night and hadn't involved a roll in the hay with anyone. What it had been was what he considered to be the turning point in his life and ever since he'd known nothing but happiness in his personal life.

Tonight he planned on showing the person who had changed his life for the better just how much he not only appreciated what they'd done for him, but also how much that person had come to mean to him. For months now, he had been saving a very special gift and Christmas made the perfect time to deliver it: the gift of himself wholly and completely. He hoped it was a gift that would speak for itself.

If anyone had asked Tim five months ago, or any day since, if he could ever see himself in a relationship this lengthy that included waiting this long to go all the way with each other; he would have told them no. He would have explained that in any relationship he'd attempted to have, it had been always expected that Tim be the giver until the other person was satisfied, but then they always wound up leaving him once he'd given them what they wanted. He didn't know any other way a relationship worked, no matter how much he craved it.

Tim sighed. Even now, just thinking back on how his personal life had been up to that point saddened him. He had been a champion at finding women who only enjoyed the chase; but wanted no part of a commitment or anything that resembled an actual deepening relationship with him. Shaking his head, he mentally admonished himself. He had left that behind and there was no good reason to look back at it now, especially tonight of all nights.

Patting his inner coat pocket where the first present he planned to give tonight rested securely, he glanced at his phone as it beeped, alerting him to a text message. Opening it, he smiled even more broadly as he read it.

_Safely aboard and taking off now. Tony got off safely as well. Have a fun week._

He quickly sent Ziva a reply. _Thanks. Be safe! Have a great time!_

Putting his phone away, he couldn't hold back the thought that crossed his mind. _Finally! While the team's away, the mice can play_!

Tim smiled at his own private joke. The last five months had been tough, keeping the team in the dark while trying to actually build a relationship that would stand the test of time, one careful day at a time without any outside strain or complications.

_And to think it all started on a night that started out so badly, he'd thought things wouldn't get any better!_


	3. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**_ _My humble apologies. I did not realize that the main charactors that I included in the title page were not kept when it actually posted - yes, this is a McGibbs pairing._

Posting the next chapter now to clarify that asap. Enjoy!

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><p><em>Six months ago - June 21, 2012 - 1900 Hours<em>

Staring out at the endless sea, the full moon lighting the darkened world around him, Tim remained transfixed in place, caught up in the painful details of the case they had just closed. The events that had broken the case for them replayed relentlessly and repeatedly in his head. Once again, they had saved the person in danger, although this time it had been too close. Looks that could kill from his teammates and Team Leader had been directed at Tim when the end result had been the need to send their innocent victim to the hospital, still fighting for her life.

Tim couldn't blame any of them. Even Ducky and Jimmy had given him those looks that meant they too blamed him. Why shouldn't they? He had been the one who had fallen for that false tracking trail – the same kind of false trail he had learned to disbelieve long ago. He'd forsaken Gibbs rule – 'always double-check' and it had cost the team over thirty minutes – minutes in which Petty Officer Leanne Forrest could have been saved from the beating she'd endured at the hands of her psychotic ex-husband who'd kidnapped her and held her prisoner – for the sheer power trip that it gave him. Had they gotten there those precious thirty minutes earlier, she'd be going home to her kids instead of to the hospital, clinging to life.

Thankfully, Ducky had called them just before the boss had released them, with an update on Leanne. They were fortunate that she was expected to make a full physical recovery. The case files had been done and handed in hours ago and the team had all gone home, even Ducky and Jimmy. Still, here Tim sat, lost in a sea of self-recrimination and memories that would not leave him alone for a minute. He had nowhere to go – no one to go home to since the dog walker was keeping Jethro for the week– and certainly no thoughts of getting any sleep tonight. So here he sat, not even cognizant of the drizzling rain that had begun to fall.

The hand that gripped his cold, wet shoulder startled him out of his reverie, nearly stopping his heart. Looking up, he was just as shocked to see the boss standing there in front of him, paying no attention to the rain that had now turned into a steady downpour, going on around them.

"You alright?"

"Yeah." Tim answered automatically without moving from the bench. The physical state of being cold, wet and uncomfortable was beginning to make itself known, yet Tim ignored it all. He was too stricken by his failure to get things right and the very painful reality that he had almost cost an innocent woman her life, to care about his own physical well being.

"That why you're soaked to the bone and you didn't hear me talkin' to ya for well over a minute?" Gibbs asked dryly.

"Probably."Was Tim's unexpectedly short answer.

"McGee. You can't stay out here. C'mon. I'll drive you home."

Tim shook his head. "No, Boss. I'll be fine."

Rather than argue with the stubborn younger man, Gibbs scrutinized him for a minute before almost imperceptively shrugging his shoulders and turning around to leave. Completely buried in his thoughts, Tim never noticed Gibbs extracting his car keys from his jacket pocket.

Feeling disconnected, he watched the older man walk away, the looming depression edging even closer, as if anxious to suck him into its inky blackness. Mentally sinking slowly back behind the fog that had nearly overtaken him earlier, the young man remained sitting as still as a rock, despite the now relentlessly down pouring rain pelting him without mercy.

Not able to hear anything going on around him through the noise of the rain, Tim found himself startled yet again, when another hand was placed on him, this time, under his elbow as the grip on that hand became almost vice-like and the voice behind the person lifting him to his feet yelled loud enough to be heard over the downpour they were still out in.

"Get in the car, McGee! Now!"

In the wake of the boss's anger, Tim gave in without a fight, even trying to hurry his steps so the older man wouldn't have to get any more soaked than necessary. It was only a short two minutes later that both men were buckled up with the heat turned up in the car, as Gibbs drove them off the Navy Yard, silence ominously sliding into place as the invisible third person in the car.

*****NCIS*****

Forty-five minutes later, freshly showered and wearing a spare change of Gibbs' clothes, Tim was warmly tucked up under a heated blanket on Gibbs' couch in his living room; the boss man busy in the kitchen after having silently handed his youngest agent a piping hot mug of hot chocolate, pointedly waiting for him to drink most of it and leaving him alone with his thoughts. Laying his head back against the back of the couch, Tim closed his eyes against the negative thoughts trying to break through the piece of serenity he'd just been handed.

"Hey."

Tim opened his eyes and raised his head to look over at the boss but remained silent.

"Okay?"

Tim nodded as he offered a quiet response. "Yeah."

Not completely convinced, Gibbs looked him straight on for a long minute. "Finish your drink and get some sleep. Be in the basement if you need anything."

Tim nodded again. "Thanks."

After a quick nod in silent acceptance of Tim's appreciation, Gibbs turned and headed to his destination, knowing Tim needed to sleep. The sedative spiked hot chocolate would help with that and the boss hoped it would also help to keep the nightmares at bay. One never could tell how badly a case like the one they'd just had would follow them home.

He knew Tim would take this one very personal and very hard; especially when the team had all been quick to lay the blame for the time they'd lost in the investigation at the feet of the youngest agent. For that, Gibbs knew, he, as Team Leader, had to take responsibility, since the team followed his lead in things like that. It was up to him to make sure Tim got through this and to see to it that the team let Tim off the hook he should not have been on in the first place.

*****NCIS*****

Pulled by something he couldn't put his finger on; from the depths of yet another replay in his head of the case gone badly and with his nerves feeling pulled too tight, Tim blearily opened his eyes, and looked around the room, barely lit by the moon. Feeling off balance by not recognizing his whereabouts, he sat up and took a minute to think about what he last remembered before he'd fallen asleep. Finally remembering where he was and why he was there, Tim glanced at his watch and frowned. _0230?_

Realizing he'd actually gotten a few hours of sleep, he suddenly felt too restless to sit still any longer, despite the terribly early hour and the fact that he was not at home. Wandering his way to the kitchen in the dimly lit house, the thought crossed his mind that he was thankful Gibbs hadn't turned every light out. He was startled to find the coffee pot not only half-full, but when he reached out to touch it, found it as hot as if it were just brewed. Reaching into the dish drainer, he withdrew the mug he'd used earlier for his hot chocolate and filled it with coffee, barely registering the surprise at finding it washed and dried in here instead of where he'd left it when he'd finished the drink earlier.

As he sipped at the fresh dose of caffeine, the sounds of Gibbs working in his basement reached his ears and drew him down to watch. Silently, he planted himself on the steps and turned his eyes to the older man, currently sanding away on what appeared to be another boat.

Setting the hand tool down he'd been using; Gibbs looked over at his agent. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Tim admitted. "Guess I just needed the sleep."

"Not gonna leave you that easy."

"I know." Tim answered sadly as he shifted around on the steps, his feet now on the step below the one he was sitting on. "It never does."

Gibbs walked over, sat down next to him on the step and looked at him more closely. "You still carry the others around with you." The quiet statement let Tim knew that the boss understood exactly what it was Tim wasn't expressing.

"Every day." Tim replied honestly

"You never said anything."

Tim shook his head in silent refusal to even speak on it any further.

"Can't let it get to you the way you did earlier tonight."

"Almost costing someone their life tends to hit me that way." Tim replied somberly as his shoulders lost some of their height and his head seemed to fall a little further down on his neck. "It's worse when I actually _do_ get someone killed, of course."

"Wasn't your fault, Tim" the Boss offered. "Shouldn't have made you feel like it was."

"You didn't." Tim corrected meekly, careful not to sound like he didn't appreciate the apology he hadn't expected but was being handed. "I mean, no more than I did myself, which …"

"Needs to stop. Beating yourself up over this won't do you any good. Gotta learn to let it go."

Tim nodded because he knew the older man was right; even if putting that into practice seemed like an impossible task at the moment. In fact, he still struggled with it quite a bit, whenever life slowed down enough for him to think about things a bit.

As if he read Tim's mind, the boss spoke again, "Not easy to believe. But you'll get there."

Tim smiled softly as he looked away.

Looking Tim over carefully one more time, Gibbs briefly gripped the young man's shoulder supportively before getting to his feet. "Just remember, my door's always open."

"Thanks, Boss."

Nodding, Gibbs returned to his boat and took up sanding again, leaving Tim to think about what they'd just discussed.

Getting comfortable on the step once more, Tim went back to watching the older man work. The soothing sounds of Gibbs working, as well as the repetitive calm movements in the now comfortable silence, soon lulled him to sleep, his head falling back against the wall with a dull thump.

He never noticed the older man look over at him with an almost affectionate expression on his face or even realized some thirty minutes later, that he was being helped up the stairs and over to the couch where he was gently laid out. Neither the pillow being tucked under his head, the blanket being placed over him, nor the gentle hand sweeping the hair back from his face registered with him.

*****NCIS*****

Morning found Tim waking up at five, his usual wake-up time, on Gibbs' couch, but this time he felt no sense of disorientation or even concern. In fact, he felt rested and as close to being at peace as he could, considering the events of the previous day. Getting up to face the day, he was met by the sight of his gym bag from the trunk of his car, sitting on the chair, waiting for him and his need to take a shower before heading in to work.

Unwilling to impose on the man or disrupt his routine any longer, Tim made quick work of downing a cup of coffee, writing out a brief note for Gibbs and heading outside to call for a cab. He walked away from the house while he waited for his ride to get there, so the sounds of an approaching car wouldn't wake the Team Leader. Ten minutes later, Tim was on his way home for a quick shower and a change of clothes as Gibbs was left peacefully undisturbed.

Tim made it to work, loaded down with coffee and breakfast for everyone, in time to get them all safely delivered to the appropriate desk and still have him sliding into his own chair, just in time to see Gibbs stroll in off the elevator at 0630.

After a brief _'Mornin', Boss.'_ Tim got busy starting up his workstation. Feeling the boss's eyes on him, he looked over at him, to find the man carefully watching him, just as he'd done the night before. With no words spoken, Gibbs silently asked and Tim replied in kind. He was fine, thanks to the boss's show of human kindness.

The workday progressed as though nothing out of the ordinary had taken place the night before and for that, Tim was thankful. He was still in shock that Gibbs had lifted him up out of the depression he'd been sinking into; without a single word or look that screamed disappointed. Reinvigorated, Tim threw his head back into the game, this time, without looking back.

By the end of the day, he was exhausted, after ignoring the continued angry glances from Tony and even a handful from Abby – and those despite the breakfast to which he'd treated them. He found himself feeling the returning wave of emotions that had nearly cast him adrift the night before as the squad room emptied out and he was once again alone and feeling the weight of the returning negative feelings. It was clear the others were still angry at how close they'd come to losing Leanne and Tim didn't blame them, and Gibbs' reassurances from last night seemed like something he'd dreamed up to make himself feel better.

Tonight, he seemed to fall into automatic pilot as his feet took him out to his car and he found himself driving somewhere he'd never before driven uninvited. Twenty minutes later found him sitting out front, his car turned off and his bruised psyche calming down, as if just by being here, things could be set back into perspective.

_"Just remember, my door's always open."_

Those most welcome words from the night before coming back to him now with vivid clarity in the voice he trusted above all others, now served to push him to get out of his car. Before he realized it, he was once again sitting on Gibbs' basement steps, watching the man work with his hands, a calm feeling finally settling over him, allowing him to relax his mind, body and soul.

This time Tim's arrival didn't seem to disturb Gibbs; in fact, it didn't seem to register at all and for some reason, the younger man found comfort in that realization; almost as much comfort as he found in silently soaking up the older man's presence. This silence was indeed golden.

Oddly enough, it was Gibbs who eventually shattered the silence and with something so surprising, it left Tim speechless. "Owe you an apology, Tim."

At the sight of Tim's mouth dropping open in shock, Gibbs smirked before he once again got serious. "Meant to talk to the team today – straighten them out about the case. Got away from me. I'll talk to 'em, ALL of 'em, first thing in the morning."

"Thanks, Boss." Tim was quick to respond to the rare showing of genuine remorse from the man.

A more comfortable feeling slipped into the silence that now filled the air between them. The two kept each other company for the rest of that night, the hours just slipping away. Their companionable peace and quiet was broken only when the older man stopped working for the night, helped the half asleep younger man to his feet, walked him up the stairs, and settled him once more on the couch, just as he'd done the night before.

Again, Tim never noticed that look or felt the gentle sweep of that hand across his face brushing the hair out off to the side. The things he did notice came to him the next morning. He felt a new feeling of security and inner calm that was beginning to settle in his soul, the pain of his past transgressions slowly easing from his conscious mind and the sense of both strength and comfort he felt in Gibbs' presence.


	4. Chapter 3

The rest of the week returned things to normal, with Tim going back to his own home to sleep and think. Having the weekend off was a great break from work and the perfect chance to relax and rest; it also presented Tim with plenty of opportunities to catch up with his personal life. He filled his time with things that made him happy - reading, listening to jazz, spending time with Jethro and even running.

Somehow the intervals he and his dog had spent apart seemed to have helped keep things smoother between man and beast. Before he knew it the weekend was gone and the next work day was looming.

As the next week arrived, Tim was completely back on track and, after mulling it over all weekend long, even had a new mission he was determined to achieve. Without anything fresh coming their way, the team managed to make their escape early that Monday night, which actually put a smile on everyone's face for a change, even Tim's. This was what he had been hoping for. Now, he just had to hope the rest of his plan would work. If it didn't, he would have to think of something else meaningful to get his sister for Christmas.

*****NCIS******

Two hours later found Tim once again sitting in front of the boss's house, this time armed with a notebook and a list of supplies he would need that he'd gotten from the DIY website. Mentally, he found himself thankful for that first night, just last week, when Gibbs had brought him here to his home to keep an eye on him. That night had given Tim the confidence he needed to allow himself to come to the boss away from work.

Somehow, he knew he was doing the right thing in believing Gibbs was the most capable man he knew for the job with which he currently needed help. The question was, would Gibbs be willing to help him? Part of his brain was telling him that Gibbs would help him, no questions asked. The other part, the more cynical, less trusting part, was telling him no way, no how, that he should know better than to even ask the man for help with something that had nothing to do with work or that didn't involve helping getting someone out of trouble.

With a determined half smile, he got out of his car, resolved to give Gibbs the benefit of the doubt. Heading inside, Tim immediately took himself down the basement stairs and stopped nearly at the bottom before sitting down.

Almost immediately, Gibbs stopped working, as he'd done the first time Tim had sought him out like this. "Something wrong, McGee?" He asked quietly at the younger man's arrival.

"Nothing's wrong, Boss. I just wanted to ask…"

"Ask what?" Gibbs' normally impatient tone filtered into his question, causing Tim to stomp down on that cynical part of his brain.

The last thing Tim wanted was to piss the man off, yet he really wanted to ask for his help – face whatever the answer was going to be – rather than give in to that old fear of his boss. Making Sarah's Christmas gift was important to him. Important enough that he had come here in May to see if Gibbs would help him get started on it. Building something from scratch like this, after all, took time and in Tim's case, the young man knew full good and well that it would take lots and lots of time.

"My parents are gone...Sarah and I don't have many keepsakes from them or our family. I really want to make my sister something special – handmade, something she'll treasure and can pass along. When she was little, she always loved our grandmother's hope chest; she loved the cedar smell and would gently play with the treasures stored in there – linens on the top carefully covering wonderful old photos, dried flowers our grandfather brought our grandmother for their first date, old letters, menus from favorite restaurants, newspaper articles, and things like that. Unfortunately, the chest was destroyed in a house fire. One of the things they wanted to do for Sarah but never got the chance – was to build her a hope chest just like it. I thought – since she's old enough now to appreciate the significance– that maybe I'd build her one for Christmas. The only problem is…." Tim nervously stumbled through his explanation.

"You don't know how to work with wood since it's not something you'd find in a computer." Gibbs quipped dryly.

"Yeah, something like that." Tim admitted with a quiet huff of laughter. "So I was wondering… Boss, would you be willing to help me make one? Teach me how?"

Gibbs looked at him for a long silent minute, as if trying to reach down inside him and see right into his soul, although the man's own expression remained unreadable. Finally, he offered his answer. "Let's see what you got." He pointed to the notebook in Tim's hands.

Tim smiled in gratitude and happiness that now his plan had a chance of succeeding. Getting to his feet he approached the older man, notebook in hand and open to the right page. The rest of the night flew by as they talked tools and lumber needed for the job.

As they planned, a crescent moon rose and shone through the basement window offering a natural light that seemed to illuminate the younger man's excited expression, full of trust and relief, bringing a hidden smile to the older man's countenance.

*****NCIS*****

By the end of June they had established a pattern of working on the hope chest on the weekends they didn't have to work. Even the weekends they were 'on call' were used to work on it, the teacher and the student becoming extremely comfortable in each other's company. Weeknights and working weekends became the only time Tim went home and strangely enough, those times began to feel much lonelier than he'd ever before realized.

This was especially true since Jethro had practically been adopted by the dog walker and spent most nights at her house. Since his relationship with the dog had always been less than perfect, sometimes even shaky, this seemed to be best for Jethro and Tim felt better about it. Had this loneliness always been here, a silent companion he'd never before acknowledged?

Oftentimes on those nights when he went home to prepare for work the next day, he would find himself looking back over the time spent in Gibbs' company, working with him on the project and marveling, with cheer in his heart, at the new improved relationship into which he and the boss had morphed into, without even actively thinking about it along the way.

Tim had been surprised at the endless amount of patience Gibbs displayed as they worked on the chest, since it seemed to contradict his short supply at work. Being a southpaw made for a lot of difficulty in handling regular hand tools made for right handed people, though it was a difficulty Tim had never before appreciated quite so much, Gibbs seemed to take it in stride. The boss never so much as frowned when the extra time was needed to make adjustments or corrections.

Countless times the older man would simply lay his hands over Tim's to correct the younger man's angle of a cut before it became too late or to reposition a hand tool before Tim made the first stroke with it. Before too long, the older man's guiding touch was as commonplace as them sitting down to a cup of coffee and a quiet meal together after they'd put in a good three or four hours of work on the project. More often than not, the nights he went to the older man's house to work on the hope chest, Tim would work a bit on the surprise for his sister while Gibbs went back to working on his own project.

Sometimes the boss would head out to pick up their orders for dinner; frequently he would just order in, letting the food come to them. Tim found himself looking forward to the meals they shared, the quiet conversations about things that interested either one or the other of them. As time went on, more often they found more and more interests in common, like their love of watching the stars at night and hiking as well as camping and fishing; although Tim was only happy doing it from the safety of the shore, as well as a slow infusion of humor that over the course of weeks became more comfortable between them.

Tim wasn't sure what appeased his loneliness more: the hours spent on their projects in quiet working companionship with Gibbs; the enjoyable dinners or that on those nights he'd find himself waking up on the man's couch, the next morning, a comfortable pillow under his head and a blanket over him – and always with his gym bag in the chair for his shower. Tim no longer felt the urge to sneak out and leave the man sleeping peacefully, but rather took care in quietly getting ready and enjoying a cup of coffee before the older man was up, knowing he was still not disrupting the boss's early morning routine. After more than several weekends of this, Tim found that this, too now felt like a comfortable progression, though he never thought past it or thought it strange. Not anymore.

There had been a time, not too long ago, that Tim would have cringed at the very idea of even being in Gibbs' house – much less being here so regularly - now it was beginning to feel like his second home. By the middle of July, after nearly six weeks of working together on the hope chest, that notion of being unwelcome in the man's home was a distant memory.

Although they had never shared more than a cup of coffee and quiet conversations over dinner mixed in between the hours of shop talk about the project, Tim thrived on it all. He appreciated the periods of peaceful, mutually appreciated silence as they worked and surprisingly enough, things at the office remained almost completely unchanged.

It was the little things that became noticeable the quickest as the team continued to work together day after day. Gibbs' growling and glaring had been dialed down and his rare show of easy-going humor began to come out a bit more as the days and weeks sped by. The unrealistic demands even dialed back a notch but most of all, it was Tim's new sense of pride in himself and confidence that became noticeable, although comments about any of it were met with a mere shrug of the shoulders, a slight smile of appreciation that it had been noticed and a quick change of topic.

*****NCIS*****

Finally, over the course of the last weekend in July, the project was completed, months ahead of Tim's expected completion date. As Gibbs helped him protectively wrap it to keep it safe from changes in the weather as well as dust bunnies, moths and mice, Tim reflected that he hadn't ever pictured Gibbs doing so much work on it with him. That certainly explained why his estimation was so far off the mark. Having offered to keep it safe for Tim until he could deliver it to his sister for Christmas, Gibbs helped him clean up the work area and return all the tools to their proper places

One last night spent on the couch, this time in complete exhaustion mixed with a sense of relief that the hard work was done, along with an intense sadness that the nights spent in Gibbs' quiet and caring company, learning new things from him, were over. Somehow through that realization, Tim felt a boldness come over him that had him cooking Gibbs breakfast that morning, setting it up to stay warm in the oven before he left the house after making sure the kitchen was spotless. This time he left before the man had woken up, as Tim didn't have the heart to face this one last time, over morning coffee in the kitchen that had become so much like home.

Between Tim and Gibbs, nothing had ever been said to the others about his project or about the boss's help with it over the past few months. Somehow, without even talking about it, they had taken the same view on the subject - that it was no one else's business. While it wasn't a secret, it also wasn't something Tim wanted to talk about with, or hear about from, his co-workers. Tim wanted his memories of those times to remain untarnished by jokes, condescension or be subject to anyone else's words or opinions.

Getting to work that Monday morning, Tim was surprised to find coffee and a breakfast burrito waiting for him on his desk - when no one else seemed to be there at six-thirty when he arrived. Smiling in appreciation, he knew in his heart that Gibbs was indeed there somewhere and had made sure he understood, by this gesture, that the man appreciated Tim's extra effort for him earlier.

The smile was still in place as the workday began, though he and the boss exchanged only the typical morning greetings before getting down to the business of starting the day. As the others arrived, the typical work day began with only cold cases to get them started. With the usual grumbling and complaining, Tony got busy before he finally got quiet. Once he settled down, the squad room became a place of almost complete peace and quiet while they worked.

It was a peace and quiet not meant to last very long, as the boss' phone rang not two hours into the day, bringing them a new case. The day was especially tough with a new case, although they found the missing person – who had simply chosen to go AWOL. Wrapping up the case and writing the case reports was a dreaded part of the process, but was completed without complaint, nonetheless.

*****NCIS*****

The rest of the week dragged by until Friday morning brought them yet another missing person case, this time a Petty Officer. They were beginning to feel frustrated at the time they'd had to spend chasing missing military youngsters who'd changed their minds about serving their country – or at least misguidedly rearranged their priorities. The teammates swallowed their words of complaint, bit their tongues and stayed on task, a rare occasion to be sure; but exhaustion was slowly setting in, as it often did when becoming bored with something.

By noon, everyone seemed to be in good spirits and really looking forward to the weekend, since they were off – again. Not jinxing their fate, no one mentioned being free, in fact, they were all rather too quiet even while trying to get the latest disappearance solved. Speaking only when they had something to contribute to the case, the day seemed to drag on moreso than the rest of the week. They found the Petty Officer, trying to enjoy his secret wedding and honeymoon with his new bride, but now they were all dog tired.

As if that wasn't bad enough, it seemed as though the minute they solved the case and began working on the case reports - just after seven - the boss was summoned up to the Director's Office. Happy that the case was solved and no one had been killed, at least the Team Leader didn't seem to mind being requested, judging by the half-smile on his face.

With a stormy look on his face, the boss was back at his desk not fifteen minutes later, silently getting back to work; obviously expecting them to as was nearly eight that night before the boss released them "Go home!"

"Really?" Tony asked as if it were too good to be true.

As he walked out from around his desk, Gibbs glared across the room at his Senior Field Agent – silently daring him to say he really needed to have such a thing repeated to him.

"Uhm, going, Boss. Thanks! Night, Mc Slowpoke! Zee vah."

As Tony nearly flew from the squad room, Gibbs approached his youngest agent, already gearing up to head home. Quietly, he spoke just loud enough for Tim to hear him. "My house. Thirty minutes."

As he turned back to his own desk, Gibbs issued an order without any bite. "Go home, Da'vid."

"Good night, Gibbs. McGee." Ziva replied as she hiked her gear bag up over her shoulder and headed around her desk and over to the elevator.

"Wait, Ziva. I'll walk out with you." Tim offered as he picked his bag up, preparing to head out. "Night, Boss."

From back over behind his own desk, Gibbs looked over at Tim and nodded in silent response.

Tim trudged his way to the elevator alongside his teammate. Both bone-weary and more than ready to get some sleep, their companionable silence was broken only by the tired smiles they offered each other as they parted company at Ziva's car. Though she was more than capable of taking care of herself, Tim refused to budge until she was safely on her way.

Only then did he walk over to his car, get in and head home, still marveling at the unexpected invitation – _or had it been an order?_

Either way, Tim's adrenaline was pumping and he found he couldn't wait for the appointed time to arrive.


	5. Chapter 4

Driving home, Gibbs couldn't help but think back to the meeting he'd just had with the Director, a little over an hour ago. The man had helped him solve a problem without even realizing it. With a huff of laughter, Gibbs let it replay over in his mind as he drove the way home almost on autopilot.

___***Flashback***_

_Staring at his boss, his trademark unreadable expression in place, Gibbs could barely keep the grin off his face. He knew that Vance would not even come close to realizing why he was pleased about this new order he'd just been handed – heck the Director would probably think Gibbs was laughing at him – as if to say the man had to be kidding if he expected the Team Leader's cooperation! A three day work conference? Gibbs? On what planet?_

_"I'm serious, Gibbs." Vance reiterated. "This Electronic Staff Management Conference will give you some clues as to what it is your computer literate staff is actually doing and how to more adequately performance-evaluate your electronic wizards! "_

_Gibbs remained silent; though his eyebrows did march up to his hairline as he processed this new order he had been given. He hated this kind of stuff and everyone knew it. However, having to go with his youngest agent – since the other conference, on Computer Forensics, happened to be going on in the same neighborhood and in pretty much the same time frame – and was not something he had any reason to complain about._

_"Want you there to oversee your agent's participation on the panel at the CF Conference, Gibbs. First time this Agency's being represented like this and I want everything kept in order."_

_"Suddenly you don't trust McGee, Leon?" Gibbs asked with a touch of irritation._

_"This isn't about trust, Gibbs. It's about protocol and standards being reset – by whatever bar – Agent McGee will set while he's there."_

_"He doesn't need a babysitter." Gibbs objected in annoyance._

_"No. He doesn't. But he does need sound, trustworthy backing and you have your own workshop to attend – and that's not optional."_

_Gibbs huffed out a breath; while secretly proud and pleased for Tim, this really did not sound like it was going to be any fun – although, the young man would invariably find some silver lining in it and manage to pull something positive from the experience._

_"Money's tight and we can only cover one hotel room for the week. Hope you can handle sharing a double room with your agent, Gibbs. Heard plenty of stories about your intolerance for these kinds of accommodations – but there's not a lot I can do about it this time."_

_"Anything else, Leon?" Gibbs asked in an almost bored tone. The last thing he wanted to discuss with his boss was sleeping arrangements. He and Tim would handle it. That was the last thing they'd be worried about._

_"As a matter of fact, there is, Gibbs. Your conference only runs Tuesday through Thursday. Agent McGee's, on the other hand, runs the entire week, starting Monday morning – 10:00 AM. That gives you two days to keep an eye on him. More when yours ends a good hour and a half before his lets out every day."_

_"So, I'm policing my completely capable agent."_

_"Don't get cute, Gibbs. Orders came from SecNav. Wants to make sure these kinds of things aren't a complete waste of agency funds, time or manpower." Director Vance groused._

_"Ah, I see." The Team Leader remarked almost off-handedly, still mentally feeling very proud of his youngest agent, invited to be a panel participant at the conference, though the invitation had been channeled through the Agency Director rather than directly to Tim himself._

_"Take a Fleet Vehicle. NCIS will foot the bill for the gas."_

_"You want us to drive – to Atlanta?" Gibbs argued._

_"You suddenly don't like driving?" Vance asked dryly._

_"Not what I said, Leon. We'll take our own car."_

_"If that's the way you'd prefer, by all means drive your own car. Just don't expect the Agency to pay the tab if it gets stolen down there or you get in an accident before you get back here. Plan to leave sometime Sunday afternoon. I suggest using Saturday to study up, both of you. Your information is all right here." The Director told him as he handed him two file folders._

_"Why?" The Team Leader asked even as he accepted the folders and now stood holding them down at his side._

_"Agency's paid for the room from Sunday night to Friday night. There a problem?"_

_Gibbs opened his mouth to automatically argue, changed his mind and shut it quickly, and could barely hide his smirk when Vance nearly grinned – obviously believing he'd finally won one!_

_***End Flashback***_

Shaking his head as his mind returned to the here and now, Gibbs couldn't help but smile. He couldn't have asked for a better turn of events to help him sort through things both for himself and with the young man he needed to talk to– and continue to get to know.

Directing Tim to come to his house had been a spur of the moment decision but one he was happy he'd made. Speaking of which, he needed to stop and get them some actual dinner if he expected tonight to go well. Tim couldn't very well be expected to think straight without dinner after the long hard day they'd all had. Pulling into the little take-out place, he went in to get dinner, whistling a cheerful tune as he went.

******NCIS******

_"My house, thirty minutes."_

Though he'd been completely surprised by the instructions coming quietly from his boss at the end of the day, Tim found himself more concerned about whatever it was that had put the man in a bad mood just a little while before that.

Sitting in the man's driveway now, he stopped to think about it. Gibbs had gone up to the director's office in a calm, good mood since they had closed the case and it hadn't involved an innocent person losing their life. Yet, in less than fifteen minutes, he would come back down with that trademark inscrutable look on his face that nearly always heralded the onset of a very bad mood.

Now here Tim was, stepping inside the man's house within the thirty minutes he'd been given to show up, his worry still in place. Once inside the door, the pleasant aroma of food awakened his senses and he couldn't help but sniff the air appreciatively. With his mouth watering, his mind shouted Dinner! Smiling, Tim let his heart rejoice. He'd come to really enjoy times like this in the man's company and these dinners – with the man whose ability to say more with few words in their quiet conversations over the past few months while they worked together on one project after another – had come to mean a lot to Tim. In fact, Tim was secretly trying to learn how to think more and speak less, himself. He appreciated this in Gibbs so much more now than he ever had before.

_But what was this one about?_ They weren't working on anything together anymore. They'd finished the mantle Gibbs had wanted renovated just last weekend. With a small shake of his head, Tim refocused his thoughts. Wanting the older man to realize he'd arrived – while smirking at himself for even doubting that he didn't already know – he called out. "Boss?"

"Kitchen!" Came the man's clear answer from the room beyond Tim's view.

As Tim appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, Gibbs spoke to him again. "C'mon, let's eat!"

"Smells great, Boss." Tim beamed as he plunked himself down in the chair the older man pointed to. "You cook this?"

"Take-out."

"Thank you for inviting me."

Gibbs' silence spoke of a hidden reason for the invitation, but Tim was willing to wait for the explanation he knew would be forthcoming.

*****NCIS*****

A quiet dinner, a quick cleanup and soon enough it was time to talk about the reason for Tim's dinner invitation. Unlike the countless times he'd been here over the past few months doing the very same thing as tonight, this time Tim found he could not relax. The worry had stuck with him and he really wanted answers; needed them.

Settling down on opposite ends of the couch from each other, Tim spoke first. "Boss? Did I do something? Is that what I'm doing here?"

Gibbs hid behind his coffee mug, hiding his smirk. He couldn't help it. The young man's innocent question had so many hidden answers it would probably blow his mind. To know that yes, he had done something; he'd awoken this older man's heart and mind to the considerations of what was important in life and what changes in himself he was willing to make – to chase what few dreams he had left – even if it meant brand new ones – or some not traveled in a very long time.

Not to mention, he wasn't sure Tim saw things between them in the same vein, although he strongly believed that the young man was himself changing and becoming more comfortable with the idea – despite having not swung that way before. He didn't want to freak Tim out or chase him off by asking him outright.

The changes had been small and gradual, but with his eagle eyes and all the time he'd spent with the young man in the last two plus months, Gibbs hadn't missed them; the times they'd brushed up against each other while working on their wood projects in the basement – when Tim never even flinched or moved away and the way his pants had begun to sport a bulge almost every time they sat close to each other through dinner or an after dinner coffee.

Then there were the times the young man would get a softened look in his eye as he looked over at Gibbs, even from across the room. And then of course,there was that smile; that thousand-watt smile had slowly but surely become brighter and been often directed at the older man while they worked here. Gibbs was sure the young man truly now had a million watt smile – and it was with a small smile of his own that he realized he was the only one to whom that smile was given.

Still, everything needed to be handled with kid gloves, not because the young man couldn't handle the weight but because it wouldn't be fair to dump it all on him at once from out of the blue.

"Boss?" Tim asked worriedly when the lengthy silence seemed to last forever.

Hearing the hint of panic in Tim's tone had Gibbs realizing he'd been silent on the subject for too long. With a small shake of his head, the Team Leader looked his agent straight on and denied that anything had been done wrong. "Road Trip."

"For work?"

"SecNav's Orders."

"For me?"

"Us." The boss corrected quietly.

Tim's eyes grew wide and his heart nearly stuttered to a standstill as he managed a somewhat reasonable response. "Oh."

Gibbs smirked as he brought his coffee mug up to his face again. Setting the cup down after he drank his fill, he turned to his agent, the smirk still lurking around his mouth. "Think you can handle that?"

Swallowing hard around the lump in his throat at the thought of being able to spend more time with the older man away from work, Tim forced himself to nod and answer the question. "Sure, Boss. No problem. We've gone on them together before."

Gibbs didn't miss the roughened tone in that answer – nor did he miss the quickened breathing and tightening of the young man's trousers when he shared the next piece of news – the most worrisome part of the assignment. "One room. Think you can handle sharing a room with me, Tim?"

Tim looked across the room for a minute as he tried to put his emotions and transparency away. Looking back at the older man, he had to frown. "I always thought you hated having to share a room on away trips; with anyone."

"We'll manage." Gibbs promised without a single trace of disappointment or anger in his tone. "And Tim?"

"Boss?"

"People do change. Nuthin' wrong with that."

*****NCIS*****

Packing his away bag for the week ahead, Tim was still struggling to process everything that was going on around him. His life was shifting a little more every day. Some days it was as if the tectonic plates under his feet, holding his life in place, were not only shifting, but moving so much that crevices were opening up just large enough to him to fall into as he tried to take the changes in stride and adjust his life around them.

_"People do change. Nuthin' wrong with that."_

The boss's words came back to him now, as did the memory, not only of his own body's instant knee-jerk reaction to the news that they'd be sharing a hotel room, but also of the moment he'd seen the boss notice that reaction. _Oh, God! No!_ Tim had been so caught up in the conversation he'd been having with the man; that he'd barely registered that moment then. _But now? CRAP!_

Dropping down to sit on the bed, he let his mind react for a minute – as his brain almost instantly argued with the memory of what Gibbs had said.

_"People do change. Nuthin' wrong with that."_

_A man? Was Gibbs really talking about that kind of change?_

_"People do change."_

_His body's reactions couldn't be argued with, but seriously? When the hell had that happened?_

_"Nuthin' wrong with that."_

_Never been a homophobe. Wow, it actually does sound okay!_

Tim nodded silently to himself as he processed the fact that this had been creeping up on him for a while, but had only clearly seen for himself _well,…now!_

Now that he had stopped to think about it. All this time spent with the older man, the deeper feelings for him coming up that he hadn't even realized until now? _CRAP!_

_"Nuthin' wrong with that."_

_Why couldn't he get those words out of his head? Why was he still able to keep these thoughts and the realization that he'd been changing like this – in perspective without it blowing his mind? Was it really a new direction he'd willingly travel? A man! Gibbs!_

A soft 'woof' brought Tim's attention back to the here and now and Tim sighed deeply. He had a dog that needed his attention and this wasn't something that needed to be dealt with immediately. However, he'd definitely have to tread carefully around the boss – at least on this trip - until he could sort this out for himself.

Picking up his duffle bag and his suits, encased in their own soft bag, Tim headed out of the bedroom to the living room and set them down next to his shaving kit. Turning to his dog, he crouched down to the German shepherd's eye level and scratched him behind the ears as he spoke to him.

"You're gonna be good for Abby while she takes care of you for me this week, right? She'll be staying here with you at night – so you'd better take good care of her and of this apartment."

_**Woof**_

Tim smiled at the erratic tail wagging that accompanied the communication from his canine. "I know. I won't forget to come home. You just remember, your adoption to Kimberly isn't final yet. You still have to behave while you're here if you want to be allowed to go move in with her. Behaving is important."

_*Woof. Woof*_

"Abby will be here in a little while. Go take a nap until then, since I've already taken you out and let you run. You should be more than ready for a long nap, crazy dog." Tim mock admonished with laughter as the dog did just that, trotting off to his comfy doggie bed, turning circles until he was satisfied and flopping down with a deflated sigh, before he closed his eyes and tuned Tim out.

The chirping of his cell phone reminded Tim of the time and he was quick to pick up his travel bags and head out the door. He had thirty minutes to get to Gibbs' house and he didn't want to be late. The last thing he wanted to do was start this trip off on the wrong foot with the man.

_*****NCIS*****_

Settled comfortably behind the wheel of his second-hand Black 2011 Lincoln MKZ AWD as he drove them away from Washington D.C., Tim still found himself slightly on edge and he knew it had nothing to do with his driving the boss long distance when it was just the two of them and everything to do with his own behavior last night – his over-reaction - and what the boss was probably thinking about it. Shifting uncomfortably in his seat for the umpteenth time since they'd hit the interstate over an hour ago, he winced at the image he was probably presenting.

Gibbs couldn't help but smirk, even with his eyes closed and his head resting on the back of the seat. He refused to let the young man suffer about it any longer – but he darn sure wasn't discussing it yet either. "Relax, Tim. We'll talk about it when you're ready."

Swallowing hard around the sudden lump in his throat, all Tim could do was nod in acceptance of the order he'd just been given and deliberately _NOT_ think about what it was Gibbs had just admitted to knowing about his junior agent! Grasping at something, anything to talk about, Tim quickly threw out the first thing that came to his mind.

"Boss, did that brochure say anything specific about what you'd be able to do by the end of the week, that you can't already do?"

"Nope." The older man replied without hesitation. Picking up the conversational ball, since the door of communication had been left open, he asked what was on his mind, now that he'd had time to slow down and think about it for a bit. " You sell the Porsche, Tim? Haven't seen you driving it in a while."

Tim frowned. He hadn't wanted this topic to come up for fear it would ruin the surprise or rather the lot of them. Sure, he'd sold his prized car – but he wasn't sorry he'd done it. He was maturing and times were changing. He was ready for a more mature way of driving that took more things like gas consumption and practicality into consideration. Not to mention insurance rates. In addition to those good reasons for changing his vehicle of choice, there was also the money he'd saved in the trade-in. Money he'd put to good use – which would come to fruition when the time was ripe, right around Christmas.

"Hey! McGee!" The boss' insistent voice broke through his thoughts.

"Oh, sorry. Yes, I sold the Porsche. "Tim answered quietly as he deliberately kept his eyes and attention on the road.

"Why?"

The boss' tone held no disappointment or anger; only genuine curiosity and maybe a touch of concern, which almost threw Tim for a loop; until the young man recalled that the boss had been changing lately; slowly but surely. Without even thinking about it, Tim answered with complete honesty.

"Wanted something more economical. Roomier for...for family."

"More to it than that."

Tim shook his head slightly as he tried to get the older man to drop the subject. "Nothing to worry about, Boss. This is a hybrid. And it has a lot more leg room. It has roomier passenger seats and more trunk space in this than the Porsche. And it's easier on insurance rates and still looks pretty cool, don't you think?"

Gibbs smirked as he once again went silent, this time letting the peace and quiet between them settle in and become comfortable. He found himself wondering why he hadn't bothered to ask the young man about the car months ago. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen the Porsche since sometime in May. Realizing Tim had some reason for not wanting to talk about it, the Team Leader sat back and closed his eyes, determined to enjoy the ride in this really nice car. Tim was right, it was a cool car.

_*****NCIS******_

Some four almost silent hours later, Gibbs' cat nap was disturbed by the car's motion as it came to a stop. Before he could even formulate the question, the answer was being provided for him.

"Gotta hit the head." Tim explained shortly as he quickly disappeared inside the gas station. Knowing it would be a smoother trip if they both took care of this pesky problem in the same stop, Gibbs got out of the car, taking the time to cast a more appreciative eye over the almost brand new vehicle. With a smile that bordered on pride in the young man's ability to do alright for himself, Gibbs headed inside.

Ten short minutes later found them already back out on the highway. Something about Tim doing all the driving bothered the older man and it wasn't long before he spoke of it. "You don't trust me to drive your car, Tim?"

"What? Oh, no, Boss, that's not it, although…"

Gibbs chuckled. "Relax, McGee. I get it. Don't let yourself get tired, through. You hear me?"

"I won't. I'll be fine."

"I know. The older man smirked as he settled back down in his seat, confident in his agent and perfectly happy to rest on the trip.

*****NCIS*****

It seemed liked hours and hours later when Gibbs opened his eyes, the lack of motion under the car's wheels waking him from his sleep. Looking around, he couldn't help but notice they'd stopped at some place called the Stratford Inn Extended Stay Hotel. Another turn of his head and he noticed the signs for Georgia Tech Conference Center and Hotel with the information that they were less than two miles away.

He smirked at the realization that Vance had to have known he could have booked them in there – but was seriously trying to save the agency money by paying for a room in this hotel instead.

"It could be worse, Boss. Director Vance could have put us up in the cheapest hotel in Atlanta. Lucky for us, he reads the reviews before he decides, or Pam does, anyway." Tim remarked as he watched the older man take in the different hotels all around them. "We're close enough to the Convention Center, we could walk if we wanted. It'll save us money on parking, not to mention the hassle of traffic congestion."

"Sounds good to me." Gibbs smiled briefly. Opening the door, he got out and stretched. "Why didn't you wake me? You've been driving for hours."

"You were asleep. I didn't see any reason to." Tim defended himself.

"Let's go get some dinner." The Team Leader suggested as he headed to the trunk of the car to retrieve his bags. As Tim joined him there to get his own, the older man turned to head into the hotel lobby. "Right after we check in."

Tim kept stride with him and together, they headed inside, quickly making use of a luggage trolley when it was offered to them. Less than fifteen minutes later, they were successfully settling into their room, with Gibbs immediately heading to the shower while Tim took the time to set up his laptop and log in; making quick work of emailing Abby to check on Jethro. Calling her would have meant a long drawn out conversation and he was too tired from doing all that driving for that.

Speaking of tired, Tim felt the comfort of the twin bed closest to him, at the window, calling out to him and he found himself stretching out comfortably before he even realized it. As soon as his head hit the just right semi-firm pillow, he succumbed to the pull of exhaustion he hadn't even realized was already lurking around him, just waiting for this chance to snatch him away.

_*****NCIS*****_

Gibbs felt much better after a long hot shower and although he knew he shouldn't have taken such a long one with Tim needing one too, the relaxation of the perfectly tempered water on his aching body and muscles had been hypnotizing and he hadn't been able to pull himself away until the water had turned cold. Returning to the bedroom, his clean trousers already on and one arm already in the sleeve of his shirt, the silver haired man stopped in his tracks at the sight that met his eyes.

With his long buried longings already coming to life once more as they did whenever this young man was around, the sight of Tim peacefully sleeping with his incredibly handsome face nestled just so on the pillow and his long slender fingers laying lax on the bed beside him, pulled at the older man's libido.

Swallowing hard, Gibbs stomped down on his emerging lust and turned away before it was too late. He couldn't do this. Not now, not yet. He could see the young man was still trying to process the idea of such a big change in his own life and until he'd had a chance to figure things out for himself, it wouldn't be fair to Tim.


	6. Chapter 5

The Team Leader left Tim a quick note in the event the young man woke up while he was gone, then left for dinner. He would let his agent sleep until he got back, but the young man would eat, of that the boss would make sure.

Approaching the front desk, he politely asked for information on surrounding restaurants and was satisfied to hear that there were several within less than a mile of the hotel. As he perused the list, he chuckled at the idea of eating fast food when he didn't have to.

With too many choices on the list, he decided to test the chicken at a place called Atlanta's Best Chicken - for starters. Feeling revived after the long nap, the hot shower and the brisk walk he'd taken getting to the restaurant, Gibbs was more than hungry and was happy to be able to sit down and eat. They'd made good time in their trip, having left D.C. early enough to avoid weekend travelers taking the scenic tours at five miles an hour. It was barely 8:30 and he had plenty of time to enjoy his meal, since he didn't want to wake Tim for at least an hour.

Although now that he was here, he felt bad about leaving his exhausted agent alone in a strange hotel room without backup - regardless of whether or not there was any reason to be concerned about crime. Hotel rooms were always prime pickings for would-be thieves.

Gathering up his dinner, he set it back in the box and set it in the bag with Tim's order, already waiting for him as he'd requested. Getting to his feet, he ordered the young man a drink and headed back to the hotel. Suddenly, it felt like this was going to be one incredibly long week.

*****NCIS******

Morning came brighter and earlier than either of them was prepared for but neither complained as they somehow managed to get ready around each other without much communication. After he'd come back to the room last night, woken Tim up and made him eat, the young man had quietly thanked him and quickly dropped back to sleep, leaving Gibbs wide awake for several hours – with plenty of time to think.

The trouble was, the only thing on his mind had nothing to do with this conference. Before he'd gone to bed, he'd needed another shower – this time, as cold as he could stand it. Now, here it was seven in the morning and although both men had already had their first coffees, courtesy of the hotel lobby's coffee bar, they still needed to eat. As they left the hotel in search of breakfast, the space between them seemed too far and yet almost too close, at the same time. Struggling to keep his head in the game, Gibbs remained silent as he forcibly refocused his mind.

"Boss, you okay?" Tim questioned.

"Fine, Tim. Why?" The boss asked as he worked to keep his surprise under wraps. This young man hadn't ever asked him that before away from working a case, although he had come to look more closely at his expressions before he spoke over the past few weeks while they'd been working together on those Christmas projects.

"I thought maybe me letting you sleep all the way here might have messed with your ability to sleep last night or something."

"Do I seem like I'm short on sleep?" After months of getting to know each other, his tone, when talking to Tim, no longer held even a hint of the impatient tone Gibbs usually used when offering a rebuttal to a personally invasive question.

"Well, maybe not sleep, but something's bothering you." Tim replied honestly, his own tone steadily calm and persistent.

Stopping their trek, Gibbs turned and glared at Tim for a silent minute. As the young man looked him head on and didn't blink or look away, the Team Leader had to grin as he stepped into his agent's personal space and quietly answered his question. "Oh, there's something bothering me, alright. There's just nothing I can do about right it now."

Watching the older man turn and walk away, Tim remained frozen in shock. _So, that WAS what Gibbs meant when he said people change! Oh, God! Does this mean he wants….? Could he really be interested in…? No way!_

"HEY! C'mon!" Gibbs shouted from up ahead as he looked back and noticed he'd struck Tim motionless. Mentally head slapping himself, he sighed. _Damn it!_ He hadn't meant to do this now but the younger man's open honesty and concern had literally caused the words to launch from his lips – and opened that door. But it wasn't a door they could afford to leave open right now. They both had jobs to do and the job came first, always.

Watching Tim slowly walk towards him, the older man swallowed his smirk. He didn't want his agent to think he was making fun of him because he wasn't. He just couldn't help it if he found the young man's knee-jerk reactions to be endearing. When Tim reached him yet kept walking, as if he couldn't handle talking to him right now, Gibbs snagged his shirt sleeve to slow him down. "Hey."

Turning to his boss, Tim looked at him briefly as he waited for whatever was coming, the look on his face, for once, nearly unreadable.

"Shouldn't have said that." Gibbs apologized.

Tim remained silent, though the flicker of disappointment in his eyes was hard to miss, as was the hitch in his breathing.

"At least, not yet." The older man amended his apology. "Still have this job to do; both of us. Can't focus on anything else."

While the disappointment slipped from his eyes, to be replaced with something that closely resembled hope, Tim nodded as he verbally agreed. "Right."

Gibbs gave his short silent nod of agreement and together they headed to breakfast, each of them now trying desperately to turn their focus to the job ahead. As they slid into the booth at Burger King with their tray, both orders setting on it; Tim opened his soft, leather portfolio and withdrew both folders, laying Gibbs' down across from him as he opened his own and began going back over what he needed to focus on.

The older man took his cue from his agent and did the same, knowing he had a harder job ahead of remembering new stuff since he was an old dog and more often than not, it was damn near impossible to teach them new tricks. Smiling internally at that old adage that had come to mind, Gibbs turned his full attention to his own reading material, effectively changing the subject between them.

*****NCIS*****

Looking back at the end of the first day, the Team Leader only remembered the way his agent, given the room to be himself around his fellow techies, was completely in his element. Left alone to do what he did best, he shined, more than capable of holding his own, standing out in the crowd with his intelligence as well as his height, well-bred manners and peaceful, easy-going demeanor.

Taking note of very little else going on around him once he'd joined the panel at the start of the day, Tim had remained focused on the discussion, immersing himself completely. Usually able to tell when Gibbs was in the room, after years of tuning himself to the frequency of Gibbs- speak, the boss was startled to realize that for once, his youngest agent had failed to notice he was present during the entire morning session.

Breaking for lunch several hours later, the panel disbanded in small clusters, a group of three walking with Tim towards the door heading out to the parking lot. With his eyes lit with enjoyment and his laughter ringing through the air, his youngest agent brightened the room and Gibbs was hard-pressed to remain patiently waiting for the free time to talk with him.

As the group walked through the room, Tim finally noticed the older man standing there and came to a sudden halt, essentially freezing the conversation of the group with a brief series of introductions, Tim proceeded to invite his boss to join the group for lunch, earning him a raised eyebrow, a quirked grin, a silent long look and a polite refusal, citing the need to make phone calls instead.

Watching his boss walk away, Tim mentally head slapped himself. _Why did he just do that to Gibbs? Inviting the techno-phobe to lunch with a group of technical wizards? What the hell was wrong with him putting Gibbs on the spot like that?_

"Tim? You alright?" One of his fellow panelists asked.

Blinking to reset his thoughts, Tim mentally vowed to make amends with Gibbs later and pasted on a thin smile as he nodded and headed out to lunch with the group, even though his mind had now returned to the conversation, however brief it had been, that he and Gibbs had had this morning.

It wasn't long before he realized why it was now that anytime the man was around, something inside him seemed to instantly warm and his heart melted a little bit more. It was all he could do to get through the lunch with the group, but Tim shackled his thoughts and refocused. He still had the rest of the day to get through.

*****NCIS*****

"…doesn't need me here, Leon. He's doin' just fine without a watchdog." Gibbs griped into the phone. "Just like I told ya he would."

_"Just following orders, Gibbs."_ Leon's tone left no doubt he wasn't willing to argue the point. _"You still have your own task down there. I expect a full report on both conferences when you get back."_

"Yeah, I figured that already, Leon." The Team Leader replied as he snapped his phone shut, ending the call.

Letting out a deep sigh, he glanced at his watch and went in pursuit of something that would take care of Leon's demands as well as help Gibbs focus more on what he was supposed to be concentrating on – the conference – as opposed to just his agent. Less than an hour later, he'd been successful not only in getting his hands on a copy of the recorded session from the morning – but also a promise that he'd get a full copy of every session for the remainder of the week.

Feeling better about being able to provide Vance with hard copy proof of Tim's performance, Gibbs headed back to the Panel Discussion Tim was on. He was just in time to slide into the room, sight unseen, to watch his agent – possibly even learn from him.

The rest of the afternoon flew by, with Tim once again in his element while the boss remained an invisible witness. This time, the older man's mind stayed firmly focused as he watched from across the room while his agent held his own among his peers and some older participants. By the end of the afternoon's session, Tim felt completely drained.

Somehow, he'd gotten drawn into at least one diversion from the topic, although he'd successfully brought that one back to the subject matter. All this management of the discussions among techies, who lived to be the best and the brightest in their field, was exhausting. Days like this were what made Tim appreciate his job even more.

He knew one thing for sure and that was that he was extremely grateful he wasn't here alone – more importantly, that Gibbs was the one here with him. Speaking of Gibbs, he really needed to mend that fence. It had been bothering him all day; hovering at the back of his mind.

As he approached the doorway to go out into the hall, he stopped as that feeling came over him that Gibbs was near. Over the years, he'd almost perfected his _"Gibbs-radar"_ - that feeling when the older man would stealthily enter the squad room and these last few months, he'd come to appreciate it a lot more. He'd even felt it earlier when they'd broken for lunch, but had been too caught up in the conversation going on around him to pay it much heed.

Looking around, it only took him a minute to find the older man, steadily watching him with that all too familiar inscrutable expression on his face. With the knowledge that there were cameras everywhere to record these sessions, Tim kept his head and coolly walked over to the man. "Hey, Boss. What do you think?"

"I think, McGee, that we both need to eat and read up for tomorrow." Gibbs replied, deliberately reverting to calling his agent by his last name; thereby keeping it strictly on a work level between them. He knew this young man had a lot on his mind; most of it not work related and he needed him to stay focused. It was especially difficult to do now that he had himself screwed the pooch earlier that morning. He trusted Tim to follow his lead as well now as he usually did.

*****NCIS*****

Just as the Team Leader had hoped, Tim followed the boss's lead and as the week wore on there were no further discussions of a personal nature. Though there were moments when Tim would see Gibbs watching him with that look in his eye that melted Tim's heart and quickened his breathing, still the young man remained firmly focused on the reason they had been sent here.

The boss found himself marveling at the younger man's resolve; silently staying focused as he had been directed, despite the numerous occasions Gibbs came close to losing his own focus.

Tuesday after the sessions had ended for the day, Tim announced he needed to go out almost as soon as they'd reached the hotel room. With a small shake of his head, the young man refused to elaborate and simply left the boss to enjoy his chance at solitude and peace and quiet in the sanctuary of the room while he ran his errand.

Coming back with several grocery bags loaded down with food and supplies, Tim smiled as he began unpacking them with excitement. "Now, we can come back here and eat without having to go out anywhere. It'll be great for saving time in the morning too, not to mention late night snacks if one of us gets hungry."

Gibbs smiled as he chuckled. "Good thinkin' Tim."

The compliment had earned him a smile of gratitude.

"Make sure you keep the receipts for the week."

Tim nodded, knowing the boss would make sure they split the expense between them, as they'd taken to doing over the last four months of eating meals together. Things had returned to almost normal between them, as the previous tensions evaporated into thin air.

*****NCIS*****

Through the rest of the week, they were too tired to think of going anywhere after the conference day was done, but they'd each seen something at the conference center that had piqued their interest. Each had noticed a kiosk listing various events happening in Atlanta and one posting in particular caught their eyes: a listing for a local observatory, the Fernbank Science Center.

Gibbs saw the general notice for the observatory and planetarium; and knowing it was something that appealed to both of them, jotted down the address and the hours. Tim saw a slightly different notice and knowing it was something they'd enjoy, captured the information on his phone. Friday afternoon saw them at a late lunch together, with both conferences completed. The free hours gave the guys a chance to try one of the local restaurants recommended to them for dinner, a place called Canoe Restaurant.

Now relaxing on a patio overlooking the Chattahoochee River, they waited for their order; Gibbs enjoyed his coffee and Tim his iced tea. Tim asked Gibbs if he'd noticed the kiosk at the conference center.

Gibbs nodded as he replied. "I looked at it the other day; saw there's an Observatory at a place called Fernbank Science Center. Thought that might be something we could do before we leave."

Tim nodded; this was perfect. "That'd be great, Boss! There's a show on tonight featuring a _'Cowboy Astronomer'_ too. It sounds interesting. You up for it?"

Gibbs smiled at the light in Tim's eyes and admitted it did sound like fun and a little different. He wasn't surprised when Tim pulled a brochure out of his pocket and shared what was on his mind.

"Boss, can we stay here one more night; do a little sight-seeing tomorrow?"

"Agency won't pay for it tonight." The Boss warned.

"I will."

"Tim."

"Boss."

"Where is it you want to go?"

"It's a surprise! "

Again, Gibbs smiled, Tim's enthusiasm too infectious not to catch. "Okay, but we split the tab."

"Great!" Tim replied sounding almost like a little boy at Christmas, not even bothering to put up a fight about who paid for the extra day. It was more important that they agreed on staying.

Having gotten that discussion out of the way and the plans made, they settled into eating their dinner. After thoroughly enjoying their meal at Canoe – trading bites of the various dishes, followed by a relaxing drive to their destination, the two men eagerly looked forward to the Science Center and the chance to see the Cowboy Astronomer, Baxter Black and his unique perspective on stargazing.

They finished their evening at the Center by taking in the Planetarium, then the long week having caught up to them, headed back to the hotel.

When they got back, Tim spent a few minutes emailing Abby and even got in a little reading before giving in to the exhaustion of the week, much to the amusement of the older man who couldn't help but smile at the angelic smile on Tim's face as the younger man slept.

*****NCIS******

_Saturday – Aug 4, 2012_

The new day dawned bright and sunny. With a smile on his face and his eyes sparkling with anticipation, Tim soon had them through breakfast and into the car as he drove them to their first destination. The younger man had to smile again, when he noticed the look of surprise and pleased acceptance on the boss's face as they got out of the car at the Atlanta Aquarium.

By lunchtime, they'd enjoyed a relaxing morning taking in every inch of the mesmerizing place and all of its wonder. Tim smiled mischievously as they left the Aquarium and headed to their next surprise destination. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the moment when Gibbs realized what was happening – the grin that lit his face as they turned into the entrance for Turner Field.

"Good idea, Tim. Who's on deck with the Braves today?"

"The Houston Astros, Boss. Thought this would be fun."

Grinning at each other, they bought their tickets and headed into the ballpark. Both men thoroughly enjoyed the game, although they were disappointed in the final outcome with Houston's 3-2 victory over the Braves. They returned to the hotel tired and quiet from the day's adventures and packed up for their long trek home in the morning.

Remembering they'd brought coolers that were still in the car, they decided they'd load them up with ice in the morning and take what was left of their groceries in the car with them. Even if they stopped to eat picnic style, that would still save them time and money on the way home

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter End Notes<strong>

_All places, dates and times of events within the duo's travels - are actual_.


	7. Chapter 6

Sunday morning dawned bleak and rainy, the unrelenting patter of raindrops spattering the window, waking Tim from his cozy and pleasant dream- filled sleep. Feeling rested, he rose quickly, stretched, grabbed the clean change of clothes he'd left out of his bag for this morning and hit the shower, hoping the noise wouldn't wake Gibbs. He hated driving in the rain and they had a ten hour trip in front of them, along with the need to get some sleep and be ready for work in the morning.

The sound of the shower woke Gibbs and it was all of two minutes before he was up, heading over to the coffee maker in the kitchenette and fixing two cups of coffee. He was grateful they'd remembered to set it to brew last night – taking away the horror of getting started this morning without caffeine. They had a long drive ahead of them and would already be fighting the tired feeling that came from rainy days. There was no doubt they'd need more caffeine to keep them going, but this was definitely a good start.

Coming from the shower, freshly shaved and already dressed except his button up shirt, socks and shoes, the smell of coffee brought a smile to Tim's face for a minute before he realized that he'd woken Gibbs up with the shower after all.

"Hey. Sleep okay?" Gibbs quietly asked as he handed the young man his cup of coffee, deliberately keeping his eyes on Tim's face and not looking at the toned body and strong hands that sent an electric jolt through his own body or breathing in that wonderful scent that was all Tim.

"Yeah. Thanks. You?" Tim answered with a question of his own, as he tried to swallow around the sudden shortness of breath that came over him as he reached out to take his coffee from the older man; their fingers touching as he took hold of the cup and withdrew it from Gibbs' hand.

It was a task made all the more difficult when Tim's eyes wandered, almost instinctually, finding proof for himself that the man was indeed not just interested but genuinely reacting to their connection just now. Without letting himself look back into those cobalt oceans he could easily drown in, Tim moved back and, without saying another word, headed to the bed where his button down shirt, socks and shoes were sitting.

Taking a few deliberately even breaths, Gibbs calmed his breathing before drinking down his coffee in one go. Grabbing up his own change of clothes, he headed to the shower, also without speaking.

While the older man was in the shower, Tim made a last minute sweep through the room and took his bags out to the car before coming back in, reheating the breakfast sandwiches they'd bought at the grocery store earlier in the week and packing up the cooler.

Fifteen quiet minutes later, they were on the road, with ten hours of driving in front of them – well, probably eight now, with Gibbs behind the wheel. The older man had been surprised when Tim asked him if he felt comfortable driving an almost new vehicle in the rain in comparison to his classic car or his old pick-up truck.

When pushed for the real reason he was asking, Tim admitted to a serious dislike for driving in the rain; something about it stemming back to the accident he'd had while driving his 1st car in the rain – at age 16. With a small smile of understanding, Gibbs accepted the keys and got them underway.

The older man expected Tim to jump at or at least attempt to jump into the conversation they really did need to have about what had slowly but surely been building up between them, culminating in that off-beat moment between them on Monday morning. When Tim instead pulled out his laptop and began working on something without speaking, Gibbs felt a stab of something.

Whether what he'd felt was pride or disappointment or a mix of both, the Team Leader wasn't sure. What he did know was that he'd have to trust his gut on this and right now, his gut was telling him he needed to leave it alone and wait for Tim to come to him when he was ready to talk about it.

The right moment would come. He just needed to be patient and wait.

*****NCIS*****

They made it back to D.C. in just under nine hours, but still feeling the pull of tiredness that came from traveling long distances in one sitting. The handful of stops had been strictly for re-supplying caffeine and trips to the head. None of them had lasted longer than five minutes.

By six that night, the boss had been dropped off at home and Tim was finally pulling into his parking place in front of his own apartment. He had a dog to take care of since Abby's last visit with the canine had been early that morning, before her full day of charity work. His apartment probably needed a cursory cleanup too, not to mention his work from the previous week needed to be ready for the meeting with Vance in the morning.

*****NCIS*****

Monday morning came way too soon – dragging Tim out of bed and back into the daily grind. Almost on autopilot, he drove to work, this time bringing coffee for everyone on the team.

"Hey, Hey! Probie!" Tony hollered out as Tim stepped off the elevator at 6:45. "Glad you remembered to come back to work. Been lookin' for ya all weekend! Where the heck you been, man?"

"Just got back last night, Tony." Tim admitted quietly as he walked out around Tony who was now standing in his path.

"Wait a second! You and Gibbs together? Staying out of town voluntarily for an extra day? Out of your own pocket? Nah! I don't buy it! You two don't even talk to each other on a normal day, how the hell would you two have anything to say to each other on your own free time? Unless the two of you're slee…"

_**Thwack!**_

"Thank you, Boss. Welcome back, Boss. Shutting up now, Boss." Tony replied as he turned to go back to his desk, only to come up short when Gibbs remained in his path, glaring at him.

Looking like a deer caught in a pair of headlights, Tony's eyes remained fixed on the boss's even as Tim spoke from over behind his own desk, his eyes fixed on his written phone messages now in his hand. "No, Tony, we're not. But thanks for the reminder of the way your mind works when its busy crossing that line into someone else's private life."

"No more, DiNozzo." Gibbs warned. "No more snooping either."

"Yes, Boss."

"I mean it, Tony. It's called _'private life'_ for a reason. That means you stay _out_."

"Thank you, Gibbs." Ziva chimed in before she looked at Tony and added her own long-standing complaint. "I have told you often, that your choice to brag about the details of your own private life does not give you the right to expect the same from us or invade the privacy of others."

Letting out a deep sigh, Tony admitted defeat. "You're right. Okay? There, I admitted it. Are ya happy?"

"Only if you don't forget it, DiNozzo." Gibbs replied as he stepped back and walked to his own desk.

"So. What'd we miss while we were gone?" Tim asked.

*****NCIS*****

By the end of the day, Tim was more than ready to go home and get some much needed sleep. Even though the meeting with Vance had gone well and cold case reviews had been the only thing that had kept the team busy, the strain of keeping all things between Gibbs and himself at a distance that was painfully normal, was, well, painful and stressful and beginning to seriously fray his nerves.

Being alone with Gibbs away from everyone else and on the road had been easy and very comfortable – for the most part. But, here – with things unsettled between them – was far from easy _or_ comfortable. Breathing out a sigh of tired frustration, Tim blinked and looked around him for the first time in a while. He was shocked to see the squad room had emptied out and gone dark without him realizing it.

"Tim?" Gibbs voice as the man stopped beside Tim, drenched in concern, disrupted the layer of fog that had been trying to settle in around the younger man's brain.

Looking at the man in surprise, Tim reacted in confusion. "Boss?"

"You alright?"

Taking the time to swallow, breathe deliberately on a calm level and to decide to be blatantly honest, Tim finally opened his mouth and answered. "I'm not sure."

Gibbs looked at the younger man with careful scrutiny, without heat or surprise. His next quiet question blew Tim away. "Think you're ready to talk now?"

Tim's mouth dropped open as his brain screamed in protest. _He was waiting for you to come to him like this! All this time you've been struggling and he just let you do it!_

Without addressing the issue further, Gibbs offered a solution. "C'mon, let's go get some dinner."

Tim's immediate, knee-jerk reaction was to object; to refuse, but something in both the expression and tone of the older man tugged at Tim's heart and endeared the man to him even more than ever before. Without a word, Tim nodded, quickly shut down his work station, shouldered his gear bag and started for the elevator in step with Gibbs. Walking out together invited the silence between them to return, this time bringing with it an aura of expectancy and hope.

The ride to the diner to pick up their dinners and even the rest of the ride home, remained a silent time, neither breaking through it, both strung tight with tension, made worse with the fear of screwing this up; whatever this was going to be.

Finally, Gibbs broke the tension and the silence. "Relax, Tim."

Snickering, Tim did just that. Letting out his breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding in, he glanced at the older man and smiled. "Thanks."

_*****NCIS*****_

Dinner almost silently eaten and both of them now comfortable on opposite ends of the sofa, they both seemed to be able to breathe again. Before anything was said, Tim was restlessly up on his feet and walking to the back porch doors to look out, already tuned in to where this conversation was headed

"Tell me I'm not imagining this," he requested as he turned and looked to the older man, who had silently stood and was already approaching him.

"This is real, Tim."

"But neither of us are…"

"As immune to change as we thought we were." Gibbs finished for him, letting him know it really was okay. "It's okay to change, Tim."

Tim breathed out a sigh. "You don't know how much I want to believe that."

"Do you _want_ this? Gibbs pushed quietly. "If you don't, there'll never be another word said about it."

"Meaning it's now or never." Tim stated with something in his voice that hit the older man in the heart like a stake.

"Not what I said." Gibbs admonished gently. "It's strictly your decision. Not gonna hold it against you either way. If you decide you don't want this, it won't ever be mentioned again."

Feeling bereft at the very thought of not having whatever _this_ was, Tim was quick to look at him. "Oh, I want it. I'm just not sure I'm ready for it."

"Talk to me."

"It's a lot of change to take in; accept about myself, you, us."

"I'm in no hurry. No time limit here."

"Really?"

"Wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it, Tim. Wouldn't even be talkin' about it."

"Thank you."

"Door's open. You're welcome here anytime."

"Yeah, about that…" Tim hedged.

"Door's always open." The older man reiterated.

"I know. We _all_ know."

"Ah. Right." Gibbs replied with a lift of his mouth that bordered on a grin. "Guess you're just gonna have to lock it when you come over."

Tim smiled.

*****NCIS*****

Somehow from that night on, endless hours spent in each other's company when they weren't working helped pass the time and soon the weeks flew by; days filled with work and the nights they weren't working on cases filled with the hours Tim spent sitting on Gibbs' basement steps. He soaked up the other man's quiet strength and silent companionship, neither of them in a hurry to take it further. Both content to enjoy this time together with dinner and quiet conversation mixed in so regularly now, it was beginning to feel like a comfort zone.

Before they knew it, week one had turned into week six and suddenly, the air between them seemed different. The days of needing or being expected to wait for an invitation to the older man's home were long gone and in their place was the nightly expectation and anticipation of spending dinner time cooking together or ordering take-out if they were too tired to cook. Either way, the time spent together over that evening meal became very special to both of them, in lots of quiet ways they never needed to mention.

Tonight, they'd ordered out almost as an afterthought – too caught up in the peace and serenity that keeping each other's company almost always brought with them. Sitting together with their coffees on the table before them, neither seemed able to break the silence.

"Leroy." Gibbs finally and unexpectedly spoke.

Tim looked at him in surprise, from across their impromptu dinner that actually felt, for lack of a better word, _cozy_. "Your first name." He reasoned out loud since he had no idea why the older man felt the need to bring it up.

"Think you could get used to using it when we're at home?" Those cobalt blues nearly swallowed Tim's soul at that moment, so filled with genuine promise and trust.

Tim swallowed hard and his eyes felt suspiciously wet. _'We're at home'._ Hearing that from Gibbs' mouth, knowing it came from his heart, brought more joy to Tim's heart than he knew how to express.

Clearing his throat, he stood to his feet and turned to the sink, turning on the faucet for the noise he needed to fill the silence that suddenly filled the room.

He was overwhelmed. He was honored. He was hopeful. And he was petrified. He cared so much for this man; he had hoped for this moment; this defining moment when the ever-increasingly intimate feel of their companionship would take the next step towards the building of a relationship that both had already admitted they wanted. However, now that the moment had arrived, he was so scared he'd screw up anything that took them beyond where they were now, he didn't know how to react.

"Tim?" Gibbs joined him at the sink and turned the water off before looking at him. "You don't have to if it's a problem for you."

Tim shook his head in denial. _Oh, it definitely wasn't a problem!_ "No, it's not…. I don't…. Does this mean what I think it means?" He finally looked over at the older man, all hope he'd stored up in his soul, now filling his eyes without a shield or mask.

"Means I'd like it to. If it's what you want, too." The older man replied so quietly, Tim wasn't quite sure he had actually spoken.

"I'd like that." The younger man replied without hesitation. "Nothing on earth, I'd like more."

"But?"

"I don't have the best track record with relationships…"

Gibbs' snort of self-mockery was almost funny, "And you think I do?"

"What happens…what if taking this further and trying to build it up from here doesn't work?"

"You think that's gonna happen?"

"It always has before…to me."

Gibbs put his hand on his shoulder. "Tim. Look. You know where this is goin'. You know we've known each other – enough to have each other's six - for a few years now. The trust between us is there and that's a huge part of a relationship – I know that from my first marriage and from the lack of it in the other three. And these last few months, we've really gotten to know each other – personally – so much more. I used to feel like I knew all I needed to about you, but now I know so much more and …I want to keep learning more, Tim"

As the older man paused to give the younger one a minute to think, he escaped into his coffee, not used to baring his soul like this; knowing he still needed to share more to help Tim understand exactly where things stood for him, anyway.

"It's…I don't know, I'm not good with words, you know that. I did finally figure out that my three failed marriages had more to do with my wanting to find a replacement for Shannon. I never took the time with any of the other three, to get to know them before we married and then each time I found out she hadn't magically transformed into Shannon, it was pretty much over. You're not another attempt at that - you're not a redhead, Tim. And your relationships, I've always wondered if you too just rush in and then the breakups hurt your self-confidence…it's your one failing, ya know but that's ok, it just makes you human enough that the rest of us can live with you."

Tim smiled at the older man's attempt at humor, even as he tried to recover from the shock of hearing so much from Gibbs about himself – who he was on the inside, down deep; especially all at once like that. It didn't take him long before he had to admit the man was right.

"I know, I…just…this is too important. You're right - the trust is there between us and maybe I have assumed too much too soon in the past, same thing, kind of, as you – I haven't taken the time to get to know the person. And I know you; that is, since we've gotten closer these past few months and especially these last few weeks, I'm getting to know you well enough that I feel comfortable saying I know you, now that you've begun to let me see the real you and I do want more. "

"And this time, Tim, you've found someone who knows you well and who believes that "we, us together" is as important as you do. Right?"

The younger man smiled softly. "Right."

"Okay, then."

"Thanks….Leroy." Tim smiled again as he looked over at the older man, every ounce of his long pent-up desire shimmering in his eyes.

Gibbs groaned with his own wave of barely controlled want, pulled Tim back to him and moved in for what he needed at that moment – contact...however brief.


	8. Chapter 7

_A personal side of Gibbs not usually seen - and some truly tender moments for our couple._

* * *

><p><em>Present Day - Dec 23, 2012<em>

Leroy sighed heavily in tired relief as he tossed his keys down on the table just inside his front door. It had been a long week and he was more than happy to have the next week off from work. He was equally happy that the entire team would have the week off to recuperate from the long and difficult last few months. They had more than earned it and he hoped they would each spend at least part of that holiday week with their own families they sacrificed time from during the rest of the year. The fact that it was the Christmas holiday was an added bonus for them all.

But the biggest relief would be that it would give him time to spend strengthening his fairly new relationship with Tim, away from the pressures that always seemed to be looming over them.

Theirs was a complicated yet surprisingly comfortable and still fresh relationship that had come about unexpectedly. It had evolved slowly enough that each step of the way had been almost unnoticeable until suddenly it just felt right. Spending those two months working side by side on Sarah's hope chest and then later being able to focus earlier than usual on his array of Christmas toys for the hospitalized kids had given him some of the most enlightening weeks of the older man's life since meeting Tim all those years ago. Tim had surprised him when he'd asked if he could be of any help with that monumental task.

He had always respected Tim and the inner strength he'd discovered within the young man along the way, but those eight weeks in the basement had shown him just how adaptable his youngest agent really was when something was important to him. Judging by Tim's determination and from his description of the treasures inside the model for this one, the hope chest had been extremely important.

When that project had been completed, that same look was back in the young man's eyes as he'd asked to help with Leroy' own project. Without yet being able to openly admit it, he'd been secretly pleased and actually relieved since it would mean spending more time in Tim's quiet, comforting and enjoyable company.

Leroy had noticed the numerous times Tim sat in silent contemplation, while the wood was drying or the coffee was brewing, and he couldn't help but wonder what had been on the younger man's mind. He hoped his junior agent would feel comfortable enough with him now to tell him, but regardless, he would be patient and wait until Tim decided it was time to let go of whatever was on his mind. There was no doubt in his mind that at some point, that time would come.

*****NCIS******

Nestled together in front of the fire, comfortably sprawled in front of the hearth they'd recently renovated together, now that their cozy dinner was over and the dishes cleared away, Tim smiled softly as he held his breath and waited for the other man's answer to his request.

"You have a Christmas present for me and you want me to open it now?" Leroy asked him with a smirk.

"Please." Tim's quiet reply was met with a grin and, the younger man reached into his suit coat jacket and withdrew the present, handing it over without another word.

Leroy chuckled as he accepted the flat package, nicely gift wrapped from the young man, but not before snagging Tim by his shirt and bringing him in close for a passionate kiss that stole both their breaths away, forcing them to break away enough to draw in their next breath.

"You make it very hard for me to think straight, Leroy." Tim admitted huskily, briefly thinking back to that magical moment when Leroy had taken his breath away for the very first time; the moment he'd changed their relationship forever.

_***Flashback***_

_"Leroy."_

_Tim looked over at him in surprise, from across their impromptu dinner that actually felt, for lack of a better word, cozy. "Your first name." He reasoned out loud since he had no idea the older man felt the need to bring it up._

_"Think you could get used to using it when we're at home?" Those cobalt blues nearly swallowed Tim's soul at that moment, so filled with genuine promise and trust._

_Tim swallowed hard and his eyes felt suspiciously wet. 'We're at home' Hearing that from Leroy' mouth, knowing it came from his heart, brought more joy to Tim's heart than he knew how to express_…...

***End Flashback**

"Hey."

Tim returned to the here and now at the sound of Leroy's strident voice calling out to him. Looking over at the man, he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. Did you say something?"

"You alright?" Leroy asked with a touch of concern. "Where'd you go just now?"

"The moment this all became real for me; for us." Tim smiled seductively.

Leroy leaned in for a kiss before he smiled back affectionately and offered a gentle correction, knowing exactly which moment Tim was referring to. "Became real for me long before that."

Tim froze at the older man's admission.

Before Tim could reply, Leroy was speaking again, his eyes shining with laughter and a grin on his face. "Couldn't rush things, now could I? Had to make sure you weren't gonna run."

To forestall any further conversation, he leaned in and captured Tim's mouth again. This time they met in a seductive kiss that soon had their tongues courting each other in a timeless dance almost in frenetic unison; their passions climbing higher at a too-fast rate of speed that neither would be able to shut down or even slow as they hung on to each other for the ride.

With another grin lighting up his eyes, Leroy pulled back just far enough to work at opening his gift as he worked to steady his breathing. "Think I'd better open this before I forget." As he laid eyes on the pieces of paper within the tri-folded travel folder, his heart swelled. _Two plane tickets to Texas? Tomorrow? Wait a minute! Why Texas?_

Seeing the questions working through the older man's eyes. Tim was quick to offer an answer. "Trust me?"

"With my life." Leroy replied with complete seriousness just before he angled his head and looked at him hard for a minute.

"What's wrong?" Tim worried.

"This why you sold your Porsche?"

"Part of the reason." Tim quietly amended the answer to fit the truth. He really didn't want to give away the surprises that awaited Leroy on this trip. He'd put far too much work and planning into it, to have it blown wide open now. But, neither did he want the older man feeling like it hadn't been a choice Tim was more than okay with.

Swallowing hard around the sudden lump in his throat, Leroy dropped the issue and pulled Tim back to him, locking lips with him once more, showing him his appreciation more than words could express.

Drinking from the kiss all that he could get, Tim's heart pounded and his pulse began to race. The moment was here. They'd never gone beyond kissing and cuddling before today. Heck, they'd never even touched each other beyond the tender touches when they worked together with their hands or cuddled while they talked, read or watched a movie.

The fact that theirs was a relationship without sexual intimacy beyond that –that it had grown and deepened without it – meant more to Tim than anything else in the world. It was what showed him that this was real; that they were ready to move forward – if that was what they both wanted. The truth of the matter was, Leroy had already voiced his readiness, well over two months ago, but he'd also been quick to reassure Tim that there was no rush and he completely understood Tim's need to wait.

_***Flashback***_

_October 1st_

_After a quiet dinner spent interspersed with conversations about what the weekend plans were for each of them, they sat down to watch the news broadcast together. As soon as it went off at seven, Leroy picked up the remote and used it to mute the television's sound._

_Looking at him with genuine surprise, Tim remained silently waiting for whatever was coming._

_Leroy looked down at Tim where he was cuddled up against his side. "Need to talk."_

_"Okay. Did something happen?" The young man asked with worry as he backed away from Leroy enough to turn and look at him._

_"Yeah. Guess you could say that." His answer was hesitant at best, raising a red flag for Tim, as the man's eyes roamed the room restlessly for that moment._

_"What? No one got hurt did they?"_

_Leroy huffed out a short laugh as he brought his eyes back to meet Tim's. "No, Tim."_

_"Oh. Okay." Reassured, the young man settled back against the couch, still facing Leroy_

_Caressing Tim's face at his ear, he drew the flopping hair back behind the ear as he spoke almost seductively. "Not about them. This is about us." No sooner had the words left his mouth, than that mouth was slowly descending down in the direction of Tim's mouth._

_Too shocked and belatedly overjoyed to think straight, Tim welcomed him and let the older man in. Surprisingly enough, after a moment of shocked hesitation, the younger man voluntarily gave back, boldly and without inhibitions this time, the passion long held in check surfacing as the kiss became passion filled and breath taking. He had waited a long time for this and he wasn't about to let anything like being taken by surprise stop them._

_Pulling back slowly, Leroy cupped Tim's face in his palm._

_"Need to know if I'm readin' you right: that you're ready for more; that it's what you want; what we both want."_

_Tim swallowed hard. Oh, he wanted this, alright! He wanted this more than anything now that he was being made aware the option was his for the taking. God, he loved this man, cherished him, wanted nothing more than to build a relationship with him that would stand the test of time. However, he first needed Leroy to work through what place in his heart, amid the memories of Shannon, he could comfortably live with a relationship of that nature with Tim. That was why he needed them to take it slow. Would Leroy be okay with that?_

_"You want more as much as I do." The older man surmised as he correctly interpreted Tim's silence as well as the turmoil filtering through his eyes. "But you're not ready for all of it."_

_"I'm sorry." Tim offered contritely. "I…"_

_"Have nothing to be sorry for, Tim. I appreciate the truth. And I respect it."_

_"I know you do." Tim replied quietly as his eyes tried to find somewhere else to hide._

_"Hey." Leroy said quietly. He caressed Tim's face again, waiting for him to look at him once more. "I'm glad you're not afraid to tell me what you need, Tim. Means we're gonna do just fine together."_

_Tim's eyes lit up as his head lifted and his heart swelled. The smile that climbed onto his face and matched the one in his eyes, lit the room; bringing a genuine smile to the older man's face as well._

_That smile turned brighter when Tim offered something to break the moment of tension. "I'm so glad you're usually right."_

_Leroy grinned. "That makes two of us." He leaned back in and kissed him tenderly once more, making love to his mouth as he wrapped his arms around him, holding him tight, sending the message that this was for real and it was for keeps._

_*** End Flashback***_

A caressing hand traveling down his face brought Tim back to the here and now, this time his smile lighting the room.

"Where'd you go this time?" Leroy asked with a small smile as he pulled his hand back.

"The moment I realized this was forever." Tim replied honestly, his eyes bright with remembered emotions on top of the ones he was already feeling now."Our first kiss."

"Ah." Leroy replied, although his eyes said he, too remembered that moment and it remained an important one for him as well. Drawing Tim in for a seductive kiss, the older man held him tucked against him when they pulled apart.

"You said I had two presents to open tonight. Are you ready for me to open the other one now?"

Looking around the room, Tim realized he'd meant to set the mood a little cozier than what it currently was and he wanted to rectify that before they went any further. "In a minute." He replied quietly as he gently pulled back from him and quickly got up to dim as many lights as he could, turning most off except the one on the end table next to the couch. Sitting back down on the floor beside Leroy, but noticeably a little distance from him, he nodded.

"Okay. You can open it now."


	9. Chapter 8

**WARNING** - _Rating Cap begins in this chapter. - Bring a fan. Bring two._

* * *

><p>With the look of anticipation so clear on Tim's face, Leroy couldn't help but tease him by opening the wrapping very, very slowly. Tim's fidgeting drew a smile from him while he dragged it out. As the wrapping dropped away bit by bit and the small package revealed two small boxes with familiar letters on them, the older man's heart nearly stopped with shock. <em>Oh, Tim!<em>

Knowing Tim was eagerly awaiting his reaction, Leroy forced himself to unwrap it completely before allowing his mouth to run away from his genuine reaction.

The enormity of the gift Tim was giving him, hit him square in the heart, causing it to swell with affection and pride. His eyes rose to meet Tim's across the few feet that separated them where they sat in front of the couch, warmed by the fire. There was no mistaking what he saw there; the hope, desire and hunger, infusing him with similar emotions. Getting to his feet, he helped Tim stand as well, their eyes locked in silent conversation of epic proportions.

_Tim! Are you sure?_

_Absolutely!_

_C'mere!_

At the tenderly silent command in the older man's eyes, Tim stepped closer to Leroy and allowed him to pull him up close and wrap him in an embrace. Leroy gave Tim another one of his rare smiles as he brushed the back of his fingers over his cheek and moved his hand to Tim's neck under his hair and pulled him into a kiss. The younger man relaxed as he relished both the smile and the kiss as the older man wrapped him securely in his arms. Almost in a daze he felt his eyes slide closed as his man gently continued to drink from his kiss in gentle caresses even though his mouth remained strong; a side of Leroy that had Tim trembling.

Leroy nearly shuddered with a wave of raw lust he hadn't felt in years as he felt Tim's trembling and realized just how deeply this was affecting this sweet-natured, honest soul. He tried to rein it in by refocusing on the young man himself. Their lips came apart when they both needed to draw in air. Leroy cupped one hand against Tim's cheek and smiled tenderly as Tim opened his beautiful green eyes to look at him.

"Thank you."

*****NCIS*****

The beauty of the coming sunset had called to Tim as he'd struggled to put some space between giving Leroy the lubricant and condoms and them pursuing the intimacy his gift had signified for them. The older man had watched Tim stand and walk to the sliding glass doors, his steps quick and unsteady as if he didn't know what to do with himself now that he'd handed Leroy the most precious gift he had left to give him; since he'd already given the man his heart long ago – though neither had admitted that out loud.

Tim was grateful that Leroy had always given him the space he needed when he'd asked for it over these last few months as they'd grown closer, either directly or in his actions. It was especially gratifying that this time had been no different.

He'd gone to the window and looked out, marveling at the beauty being painted out in the skies and coaxed the older man to enjoy it with him, despite the brisk, cold air that awaited them when they stepped outside.

Now settling down in one of the chaise lounges, Leroy beckoned for Tim to settle on the seat in front of him. As soon as the younger man got comfortable, the older man pulled him back and settled the blanket over them, the cozy feel of it all helping to keep them warm. Wrapping his arms around Tim's middle, he kissed him on the temple as reassurance that all was well between them.

"This is nice." Tim murmured as he nestled his head back on the older man's shoulder, so close to the man's neck, he was tempted to nuzzle it. It felt so good to be able to just sit cuddled together like this and enjoy each other's company without worrying about anything or feeling any pressure. Tim felt a wave of gratitude towards Leroy for making that happen; for long ago accepting his request that they wait to take things further than kissing each other and maybe getting wildly passionate with it, but never further than Tim was comfortable with.

_***Flashback***_

_October 20th_

_Their tongues dueled with each other, mouths fit tightly as they held each other close, passions inflamed by mutual attraction, affection and lust._

_Tim broke away first, his breath harsh and unsteady while his eyes were still dark with want and need. His hands clenched at his sides as he turned away; the mental head slap he wanted to give himself almost slipping past his control and manifesting itself in the physical sense. "I'm sorry." He murmured sadly._

_"Don't be." Leroy's ragged breath whispered across his ear, as a kiss was pressed to his temple. "Told you, I respect your decision. Doesn't mean this won't happen, Tim. I'd be worried if it didn't."_

_"But…" He turned to face the older man, self-recrimination written all over himself._

_Holding his finger up to Tim's lips to silence him, Leroy leaned in and replaced his finger with his warm, firm mouth, kissing Tim seductively but pulling back shortly thereafter._

_"Just because we've agreed to wait; doesn't mean the desire's not there. Neither one of us is made of stone."_

_"Then you're no…" Tim worried, his words halting as his bottom lip caught in his teeth._

_"__**Not**__ sorry I agreed with you. Not something you have to worry about. We'll get there, Tim. When you're ready, we'll get there." Leroy stepped even closer into his space, took his face in his hands and kissed him more tenderly than ever before. Pulling back, he tousled Tim's hair. "And when we do, it'll be all the better for the both of us."_

***End Flashback***

"You with me?" The quietly spoken question was accompanied by a kiss to his temple that brought Tim back from his memory

"Yeah." Tim admitted as he nestled back even more. "Isn't it beautiful?" He asked as he looked up at the majestic sight before them, the brightly rainbow painted sky reflecting off the snow.

"Absolutely." Leroy replied as he ran his fingertips lightly down Tim's arm, sending shivers all through Tim's body. "More so because you're here with me."

The romance of taking in a sunset together on this cold night fused them together without a single word more, as both of them allowed nature's beauty to enthrall them until darkness fell and the chill could no longer be ignored.

As he felt Tim shiver involuntarily for the third time, Leroy prodded the younger man to get up from the chair with a gentle push to his shoulder. "Let's go inside."

*****NCIS*****

"Want this night to be special." Leroy whispered sensually into Tim's ear just a few minutes later as they stepped into his bedroom together for the very first time ever. "As special as this gift you're givin' me."

Tim swallowed hard around the sudden lump in his throat as he gazed into the older man's eyes, all the emotion he had invested in this moment shining brightly for Leroy to see.

What he saw on his young lover's face nearly took Leroy's breath away, even as he reached out and tenderly caressed his face and connected those beautiful full lips with his own, as their passion met, searchingly, achingly tender and yet promising more. He drank from the kiss and returned it with depth and a hunger long restrained.

Breaking away, the older man began kissing Tim's face, starting at his brow and moving all over his face until once again, catching his mouth tenderly in a soul searing kiss that melted his heart and had his eyes shining extra bright, he steadied his breathing before finally speaking. "Okay?"

Tim nodded, too emotionally tripped up to find the words.

Kissing his temple, Leroy gave the younger man a quick embrace. "Relax for a minute, I'll be right back. Gonna go turn the heat up a little. A little colder in here than I like."

Tim wandered over to the window and gazed out at the neighborhood beyond the yard, getting lost in the haze of intoxicating memories that got his blood pumping just reliving them. Sensing he was no longer alone, he lifted his eyes to meet Leroy's in their reflections staring back at him through the glass. The young man found himself short of breath at the depths of want and need looking back at him in those almost bottomless oceans of blue. Somehow Tim miraculously controlled the small shudder that ran the length of his spine as his body began to resonate with a steady pulse of pure desire.

As their eyes remained locked together, Leroy stopped behind him, strong yet gentle hands grasping Tim's shoulders and gently pulling him back towards the hard body he now leaned back into. This time there was no controlling the shudder running through him as the young man reached back towards the man he could hardly wait to touch, his arms going up around his lover's neck.

Watching him in the window's reflection, with careful scrutiny, Leroy saw the darkening of those beautiful green eyes, heard the increase of his breathing and noticed how those full slightly parted lips now tempted him to throw all his self-control to the wind and drink from them like the starving man he was.

As Leroy ran his hands down Tim's arms with nerve jarring gentleness in the barely-there touch, Tim's breath caught in his throat and he leaned back further, needing the contact. Turning his head to meet Leroy half-way, their mouths melded together hotly; both desperate to drink from each other. One of the older man's hands claimed Tim's hip, bringing the young man back; closer, as they traded taste for taste, nip for nip and stroke for long, lingering stroke that brought moans of pleasure from them both, made even hotter when Leroy's achingly hard and swollen member nestled Tim's rear, pulling a groan of lust from deep within him.

The arms around him moved and Tim found himself gently turned while their tongues continued to dance and duel. With ragged breaths and rapidly beating hearts, they broke their dance apart, but not their eyes. Feeling the heat of his gaze, but still craving more of Leroy's touch, Tim went back for more, this time with his hands.

Soft light from the lamp cast a romantic feel into the room but neither paid attention as Tim sent his hands to Leroy's shirt, taking the hem in hand and raising it slowly, his eyes once more locked on his lover. With smoldering heat and desire being stoked hotter with every passing minute, Leroy remained still, letting Tim follow whatever path his own yearnings dictated and get comfortable doing so.

His breathing now harsh and ragged as Tim's boldness infused him with a flash of lust so deep and strong, he almost couldn't confine it under the reins of his self-control – a self control that he was barely holding onto. The thrumming tension in Leroy's body mounted as his young lover kept up the slow pace as he blazed trails over the older man's torso with his fingers and his palms before stopping to raise the polo shirt up off his chest. Standing straight, he kept going with it, dropping it on the floor as soon as it cleared his lover's raised hands.

Leroy reached out and grasped Tim's head as the he moved to continue undressing him. Before the young man could object, the silver covered head swooped in and their mouths found each other once more for another breath-stealing round of dancing and dueling tongues. This time he wrapped Tim's upper body with one strong arm to hold him still while their lower bodies lined up together and settled snugly together through what remained of their clothes. The resulting shockwave of lust shooting through both their rapidly swelling members, evidenced by their growing girth and lengths, brought out sensual moans that filled the air between them.

Feeling lightheaded and needing to breathe, Tim broke from the kiss and pulled his face back, though his eyes remained drawn to those of his lover's - those oceans of blue now darkened with desire. Trembling with a need that had been steadily climbing for the past few minutes, Tim's hands impatiently returned to taking off Leroy' remaining shirt, this time the tee shirt was all that remained between them and Tim's desire for complete skin-to-skin contact. It was a craving so sharp, he thought he'd surely go crazy if it didn't happen soon.

Leroy found himself smiling softly at Tim's desperation and turned his attention to divesting the younger man of his own shirt, mentally chuckling at the realization that Tim had been so focused on removing Leroy's that he hadn't thought to get rid of his own. In a blur of hazy, lust filled moments, their pants were gone too and finally, there was nothing between them except a mere inch of space and their boxer briefs, both of them for some unknown reason, had dropped their hands down to their sides.

Now Tim had frozen, his eyes bright green oceans of pure unadulterated desire and anticipation and his breathing fractured and rough, as his shaft throbbed while it began to weep even as it remained constrained.

Leroy nearly moaned in raw need as his eyes took in their fill. The young man was gorgeous, trim, fit and so attractive, it stole his breath away at the same time it stoked his inner fires so hot the older man felt like he was being scorched; his own rod so hard and full, it was all he could do to rein in his raging need to bury himself deep inside Tim already. Taking a deep breath, he raggedly let it out and finally managed to speak.

"C'mere."

It might have been the look of raw desire he saw in those cobalt blue eyes or it might have been that tone of voice that sent shivers of unbridled lust through him or maybe it was the hand that drew him closer, hot and comforting, bringing trails of fiery pleasure everywhere it touched.

Something moved him, as without hesitation, Tim stepped into those arms, his body nearly dancing with anticipation.


	10. Chapter 9

**WARNING** - _Turn on those fans! It's gonna get hot up in here!_

* * *

><p>As his lover stepped into his arms, Leroy trailed one hand down to the fabric covered hip and stopped just over the young man's groin, as he heard Tim's breath catch. With a full measure of self-control, the older man kept his hand still, wanting them both to savor the anticipation while he drew Tim in for another arousing kiss. This time, he handed Tim the reins letting him do all the exploring with his tongue.<p>

His fingers itched to wrap themselves around what was waiting for him just inches away and before too long, his self-control slipped away; the fingers on his hand moving as they spread out and closed over Tim's cloth covered soft, yet full flesh and felt the weight even as it continued changing with its' growing and thickening.

Tim's eyes glazed and closed as he breathed out raggedly, no longer able to hold onto the kiss. His mouth now resting against Leroy's neck went slack as he arched, pressing himself into the older man's hand without conscious thought or effort, a soft moan escaping his lips.

Leroy watched as his thumb moved against the fabric, caressing Tim's length, seeing it swell beneath his attention, the feel of soft flesh thickening hard and hungry under his touch sending a wave of pure lust straight to his own already swollen and weeping rod.

Tim moaned again in absolute pleasure and then bit his lip trying to ensure Leroy didn't hear him. The incredible wave of pure pleasure was intensifying with every stroke of Leroy's thumb and the young man couldn't hold back the moans of sensual abandon that escaped any longer as he instinctually leaned into the older man's continued caress. As pleasurable as this sensation was, he felt his knees nearly buckle when his lover's hand reached inside the restraining briefs and wrapped around him. There was no stopping the next guttural moan of pure ecstasy that crossed his lips.

His breath already coming in heavy, jagged bits, the older man nearly lost it at the sound of Tim's moans as they electrified his already lit fire He continued to hold and stroke Tim's hardened and throbbing rod, forcing himself to raise his eyes up to his lover, the glazed, raw need he saw there, tuning the heat up so hot on his own fire, felt like he was literally on fire.

With his own lust roaring in his veins, Leroy fought to keep his focus on his man. Leaning in, he took Tim's mouth by storm as his free hand worked to rid him of his boxer briefs, moving first one side down off the young man's hips and beautifully rounded buttock, then the other, until the entire mass of fabric was gone. His lover's lips were so sweet and his tongue was so soft, sharing small breaths was breathtakingly hot. He let his lips and tongue travel over the tempting jaw line as he worked to free the young man from the last of his clothing.

The sudden wave of cool air across Tim's backside had him biting his tongue to keep from moaning again as the wave of heightened pleasure ripped through him unexpectedly; yet again. Leroy's arms tightened around him, drawing his nipples through the older man's mat of coarse chest hair, turning the flame of pure pleasure up even higher. Hungry for more, Tim raised his head and found that firm, yet luscious mouth, reclaiming it with all the hunger he could no longer hold back, as his hands set off on fiery trails of exploration, anywhere on his lover's body they could reach.

Leroy accepted the invitation without hesitation, treating himself to an endlessly gratifying taste of his lover's sweet mouth, unable to stop the groan of pleasure that escaped his lips as Tim's surge of animal hunger showered the older man with sexual pleasure, the likes of which he had never before experienced. His tongue joined in the dance with Tim's and his aching cock throbbed with need and it was all he could do to keep from burying himself inside this beautiful body being offered to him bit by bit. But this was Tim's first time and he deserved better; a more gentle experience and so he harnessed his raw hunger a little better and let the young man take the lead.

Tim's cool palm cupped his lover's swollen rod, causing his breath to leave his lungs in a hiss as those strong, slender fingers encased him, soft and cool to the touch. A shudder ripped through the older man as pure molten heat surged through his veins, nearly shredding the last remnant of self-control he had as their eyes found each other in the soft glowing light and their mouths re-engaged their dance, passion lit so hot they couldn't control it.

Leroy felt his knees grow weak when Tim's hand flexed around his shaft, his own briefs somehow, already gone and gently cupped him once more before sliding slowly up and down his length. The older man swallowed his moan, his teeth grinding with the effort to keep his self-control intact, already stretched to its limits.

As his lover shifted restlessly, Leroy sent his own hand to gently squeeze Tim's neglected yet still swollen and throbbing member, as the younger man's hand convulsed around his in instant response with a low moan, nearly driving him over the edge.

Electric shock coursed through Tim, scorching him, ripping another lust filled moan from his throat, as he felt the tension building in his thighs, climbing steadily until he felt himself teetering just on the edge. Without even realizing it, he found himself leaning on the strong supportive arms of his lover. Leroy's hand flexed around him again and again, stopping only when his fingers trailed paths up and down the younger man's hardened length with a barely-there lightness that nearly had Tim crying with need.

"Oh, God! Need… Need." Tim whimpered brokenly as he trembled and an instant later, his eyes were wide when he felt a familiar tingle in his toes. His heart hammered in his chest and a roaring filled his ears. "Oh God! Don't stop! Please!"

Leroy's thumb gently caressed his tip, piercing him with another jolt of lightening, an unbelievably exquisite pleasure, then every part of his body tightened up even tighter just before sending him over the edge so hard and fast, even as the spasms ripped through him, everything turned white around him and he remembered nothing more.

As he held Tim through his powerful release, Leroy felt his own shudder through him as he flew into the stratosphere in his lover's wake, leaving him sagging on weakened knees as he tried to hold his young man up while breathless and completely worn out. Carefully, he lowered them to the bed and although now sticky and wet, he cared only to be nestled as comfortably as possible with his completely worn out lover. With Tim cradled in his arms, he pulled the blanket over them, gave in to the exhaustion that claimed him and he too, knew nothing more.

*****NCIS*****

Leroy woke when he felt a hand trailing over his chest. Before he opened his eyes he could feel his young man's head as it settled there as well. He rubbed Tim's back and ran his hand down his hair affectionately.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked Tim quietly as the memory of the look of absolute ecstasy on his lover's face earlier brought a smile to his face. He was still reeling from this gift Tim was giving him, of himself - that had set them on this heightened odyssey of exploration, intimate trust and quenched desires long held in restraints.

Leroy's unexpected awakening brought Tim's ministrations to a standstill as he answered the question. "Needed to be connected to you again," Tim explained almost timidly. He crawled up beside his lover, easing his way down to lay beside him, one hand lying on that strong, gently rising and falling chest.

The older man turned onto his side as he leaned over to kiss him, pulling him closer. Feeling clean, he realized Tim must have washed them down before Leroy had woken and the knowledge of that intimate act stoked the embers of the older man's internal flame. Easing off from the kiss, he ran his hand down Tim's face. "I could get used to this." He admitted as he rocked his hips until their bodies touched and Tim could feel him getting hard.

"You sure you're okay with this? Tim asked as his breath caught in his throat. He hoped the older man understood that he was actually giving him an out to this new relationship and the deeper level they'd just embarked on, even though they still hadn't gone all the way to the ultimate connection. "You don't have to say yes."

C'mere" Leroy quietly instructed as he pulled the younger man even closer to him and gently rolled them over so Tim was now underneath him; sweeping his lover into a soul searingly tender kiss that stole both their breaths Leroy finally withdrew from the kiss, he touched Tim's cheek affectionately before leaning in for another kiss. "Wouldn't have accepted your gift, if I wasn't sure. Tim."

Tim nodded as he swallowed hard around the sudden lump in his throat, his vision suddenly blurred.

Silently, the older man wiped the lone tear that had escaped Tim's eyes away with the ball of his thumb before wrapping his arms around the young man once more and rolling them back over so he was now on the bottom, holding Tim to his chest. Securing his arms around his lover, he kissed his hair and caressed his face as he spoke once more. "Sleep, Tim."

The quiet encouragement accompanied a tender kiss to the temple as they snuggled under the blanket together. "I'll still be here in the morning."

*****NCIS******

Something woke Tim up, though what it was, he wasn't sure. Giving himself time to adjust his eyes to the darkness, disrupted only by the dim nightlight plugged into the wall by the bathroom door, he lay still in the peace and quiet, broken only by the sounds of his and his lover's breathing. Safely cocooned in the strong arms of the older man, sound asleep and completely relaxed at last, Tim couldn't help but smile contentedly. As he stretched languorously, his senses came alive when his own limbs brushed up against Leroy's.

Just touching his lover seemed to awaken Tim's lust for him and already, his hands set out to blaze new trails on the older man, as if desperate on their own to touch him and reconnect with him. As his inhibitions faded away, Tim found himself moving over Leroy and kissing his sleeping lover everywhere his hands and fingertips touched as they traveled from the man's throat on down to his chest and even over his nipples and on down to his sensitive navel.

It was all he could do to hold back his moan of lust as he soon wanted more. It wasn't long before his hands found their ultimate prize, encasing Leroy's cock gently, although not able to keep still once they had it, the need to caress it and make love to it, too strong.

Leroy shifted in his sleep as his body awoke to the attention being given to it. When his now thickening cock was wrapped in those sweet, slender fingers, it was all he could do not to thrust himself further into that warm, tender hand. "Mmm." He groaned. "So good, Tim."

Instantly, Tim's mouth was there close to his, smiling briefly before swooping in for a kiss so tender, the older man couldn't help but focus on it as he wrapped his arms around his young man, rolling them until he was now on top looking down at his lustful lover, now staring back at him with unbridled heat and hunger in his eyes.

"Okay?" He asked in a voice thick from sleep and awakening lust.

Tim nodded as he looked into Leroy's eyes, dark and hungry, his pupils dilated with his arousal. Suddenly he couldn't breathe as his lover's mouth descended on his own - gently asking to be let in, his lips touched Tim's until the younger man moaned, opened his mouth and let Leroy in, letting him explore and learn Tim's mouth anew, taking him in and begging for more.

Leroy's tongue explored Tim's mouth, tasting, searching, passively – the opposite way he did everything else in life. He made love to Tim's mouth the same way he was beginning to make love to the rest of the younger man – letting him set the pace and guide the journey. Tim locked his mouth firmly on Leroy's and his tongue searched and teased, and then settled down so the kiss could settle back into sensual and so arousing and breathtaking, the young man had to break away.

Giving them a minute to regain their breathing ability, the older man's hands began their quest in earnest, setting Tim's skin ablaze as they awakened every pore and cell in his body with their touch. As Tim moaned in pure pleasure, Leroy gently went back in for another dance with his mouth, kissing the younger man's soft lips, searchingly, invitingly.

As he accepted the kiss and relished it, Tim couldn't hold back any longer. He let go and gave back with all the unleashed passion within him, wantonly, desperately drinking in the kiss and giving back urgently, primal want fueling every motion.

Leroy moaned enticingly as his hands once again traveled Tim's smooth chest and body in slow, tantalizing and teasing strokes that evoked gasps of breathlessness from the younger man, their eyes locked together with returning heat and need.

When his lover's hands continued their seductive trail down Tim's chest, on down to his navel, he couldn't stop himself from arching into the touches searching for more, once again breathing hard and nearly squirming with wanton desire for this man before him.

Without hesitation, Leroy brought one hand up and caressed Tim's face for a moment, his fingers gently ghosting from his hair at his ear; on down past his eyes and ending their trail as they reached his chin. Leaning in for another kiss, he first whispered huskily "Gonna make you feel so good, Tim".

Tim couldn't help but respond in a moan as a shiver ran down his spine and burst in the pit of his stomach. His body felt feverish and even his face felt flushed. Leroy leaned down and kissed him, this time, letting go himself and rolling his hips into Tim's, their eyes locking on each other, bottomless pools of want, need and pure huger. As their mouths danced and dueled passionately, his hands paved reckless paths of fire along Tim's skin on his arms and even his chest and nipples. Pulling back for air in which to breathe, the older man leaned his head on Tim's forehead for a moment as he breathed out. "So good, Tim."

Reaching out to caress his lover's face, Tim was rewarded with the man turning his head to kiss his palm before raising up and locking lust filled gazes with him once more. Another shiver ran down Tim's spine – spreading heat out and down until it pooled in his groin. As he looked into Leroy's eyes, dark and hungry, his pupils dilated with his arousal, Tim couldn't breathe as glorious sensations ripped through him, leaving him nearly mindless with sensual overload as those lips now moved from his mouth and traced his skin, inch by gloriously reactive inch.

Hands followed in their wake, moving so slowly down Tim's chest, fluttering near his navel. He thought he'd lose his mind, caught up in a wave of pleasure so deep, as the splendid mouth that had held his own so captive just a few minutes ago, now tantalizingly blew air across his navel and licked and suckled on his deeply aroused nipples.

While his lover's hands kept their tantalizing trailing seemingly everywhere across his now super-sensitive skin, the heat of the rising flame nearly scorching him from the inside out, his manhood now desperate for release soon had Tim moaning in pure animal hunger as his body writhed and desperately searched for that something just out of reach.

Seeing his new lover finally lost in complete sensual abandon, Leroy's own cock ached and throbbed with the need to bury itself into that delectable body that wasn't quite ready. Tim deserved for this to be as pleasurable as it could be, not desperate and rushed. Raggedly, the older man hung on to his self-control and forced himself to refocus, this time, with all the hunger that needed to be fed, he swooped in for another taste of Tim's nectar, his lips pressing into that irresistible, luscious mouth until his young lover moaned, opening his mouth, letting Leroy in, letting him demand everything from him and more.

When the lips continued to roughly plunder his mouth and the second hand lovingly cupped Tim's weeping, straining cock, Tim's senses overloaded as his hands fisted in the sheets and he broke away from the kiss, drawing in ragged breaths, trying desperately now to find the long awaited release. As his lover gently squeezed his cock yet again with agonizing pleasure shooting though him, he lost the fight to stay silent; the plea ripped from his lips. "God! Make me cum, already! Please!"

Keyed up almost painfully and writhing in pure sensual abandon, Tim's hands continuously gripped the bedding, his head tossed back and forth, so close to what he knew he needed that he was almost crazed with the need for it. Suddenly, his rock hard swollen rod was swallowed whole – sucked deep into the cavern of his lover's mouth, as with his hollowed out cheeks, the older man made love to Tim's cock for all that it was worth.

"AH! Oh, God!" Tim cried out as the wave of pleasure nearly sent him into orbit. His balls tightened up and the sharp sensation of approaching flight gathered from deep within and as he bucked and pushed himself further into the cavern, crying out for more. "Don't stop! Please!"

Leroy drew his tongue into Tim's tiny opening and flicked it as Tim bucked up against him and came hard with a cry. "NNGGGHH!" Over the edge he flew as he hung onto his lover for dear life for the ride.

"That's it. Ride it out, Tim." Leroy crooned as Tim trembled through the wave before he came down and lay boneless and shuddering in the older man's arms, completely unaware that the power and depth of his release has ripped his lover's unstoppable orgasm from within him as well, leaving them both quaking and wrung out as they clung to each other.

*****NCIS*****

What seemed like hours later, Tim came down from his post coital high and finally let go of his lover with an embarrassed smile as his eyes slid closed, too worn out to do anything but rest.

Leroy cradled the younger man with more affection and concern than he'd ever thought possible after having lost Shannon a lifetime ago. But being here with Tim, making love to him in increasing levels of intimacy such as tonight had been after months of getting to know him and letting him into his heart more and more every day, had shown him that he was capable of feeling joy again, of loving again and it being reciprocated in spades.

And finally, Leroy Jethro Gibbs realized, he had reason to be completely happy and at peace again.


	11. Chapter 10

_A/N: Please keep in mind - this was completely written 2 years ago. Nothing's been changed - no editing whatsoever has been done.- _

_now...on we go_

_It's hot up in here!_

* * *

><p>Tim woke to his lover's hands and mouth trailing gentle yet fiery hot paths on his skin almost everywhere. With Leroy still lying spooned behind him, he was already in heaven and he hadn't even opened his eyes or moved a muscle yet.<p>

Mornings were going to be something he looked forward to if this first one was anything to go by. It was nice not having to wake up alone; really nice. He rolled over and snuggled into the older man's chest, taking that moment to really take in and appreciate the man's ' unique scent as one of his lover's hands moved to his hair and began carding it soothingly.

Either Leroy wasn't yet aware that Tim had woken or he knew and had chosen to give Tim whatever time he needed for himself before starting the day with conversation. Either way the moments of snuggling with peace and quiet still in place did Tim's heart and mind good since he was struggling to process what had happened last night. He couldn't help but feel keenly disappointed in himself. Here he'd planned everything and thought it all out until he couldn't have thought any longer – and almost nothing went according to his plan – nothing, that is, after they'd come back inside from watching the sunset.

Not that he wasn't elated about the way things happened after that; no, he had no complaints at all; well, only one – and it was a biggie – but he only held himself responsible. Tim knew he could easily be pushed over the edge, but had never before experienced anything like last night. It nearly blew his mind – and at the same time, upset him because he knew that was why his plans had fallen apart. He just wasn't sure he could ever make up for it. Maybe he could do it this morning. As he turned away from his lover's chest, just enough to glance at the clock on the bedside table, he felt a wave of disappointment so intense, it nearly crushed him. _0800! Damn it! There was no time!_

Closing his eyes, he mentally forced the disappointment to the back of his mind and refocused on the new day – and what was supposed to be the vacation of a lifetime – not just for him – but for Leroy as well. When he'd made these travel arrangements, he'd managed to do it for two – with the idea that Leroy would be able to take anyone he wanted to when the time came. That had worked out beautifully – especially since he'd managed to make alternate arrangements for the older man's really big Christmas present. He couldn't wait to see his lover's react on when that time came.

Effectively refocused now, Tim nearly purred from the attention to his hair that had continued all the while that he'd been thinking so hard. As he opened his eyes to meet the day, he found himself staring directly into the eyes of his lover; whose bottomless oceans of blue were openly worried, even as his hands remained busily trying to soothe Tim and still caress his body everywhere.

"Okay?" Leroy asked in genuine concern.

Tim nodded even as he offered an almost whisper-quiet answer. "Yeah."

"Tim?" The older man pushed, knowing damn good and well that something was bothering his lover. It was worrisome that the young man had just spent the first ten minutes he'd been awake thinking whatever it was on his mind, nearly into the ground before allowing himself to relax and greet him and the oncoming day.

"As good as that feels, we have to get going," Tim reminded him as he forced himself to get up and head toward the chair where his clothes were. "I'll go get us some coffee if you want to jump in the shower first." Having skirted the issue at hand successfully and gotten enough space between them that things could move on, he breathed an internal sigh of relief.

"Join me." Leroy suggested with a straight face, although determined to get the answers soon. "It'll save us time."

"Oh, no it won't." Tim smiled as he deliberately put more space between them. "There's no way we'd get outta here at all if we went that route now."

Leroy grinned as he began to get up, his feet already finding the floor. "Hmm. You could be right about that."

"Could be?" Tim scoffed. "I'll have your coffee waiting for you when you get done."

"C'mere." Leroy ordered seductively as he stood, letting the covers fall back to the bed, standing naked before his retreating lover.

Fighting back the wave of lust that washed through him at the sight before him now, made twice as hard to resist by that tone from Leroy that always pulled at him, Tim closed his eyes for a brief minute and deliberately took several deep breaths, letting each one out slowly. Opening his eyes once more, he finally found his voice. "I'd love to, but we've got a flight to catch. We have to leave in half an hour." He reminded his lover infusing his tone with genuine regret "It'll have to wait until tonight."

"Spoilsport."Leroy groused good naturedly, his eyes twinkling as he took in the way Tim was fighting with himself not to take him up on his offer.

"Right. We'll see if you still think that way when we get where we're going later today." Tim laughed as he headed out of the room, his own change of clothes in hand. There was no way he was going to tempt fate by showering up here. He was right. As much pleasure as Leroy had shown him they could give each other last night, Tim would never want to leave the house again. It was hard enough having to leave with that final plateau of pleasure still not having been reached between them – if he didn't leave the room now, they might never get to the airport!

Less than a minute later he was back, the most sheepish of looks on his face.

"Something wrong?" Leroy asked calmly as he froze; pillow in one hand and blanket in the other as he paused in stripping the bed.

"I think I'm beginning to suffer from memory problems." Tim admitted.

"What'd I miss?" His lover asked in surprise.

"Oh, nothing. Except our flight's not til 3:45 this afternoon."

Leroy tightened his grip on the pillow – and threw it at Tim's head.

*****NCIS*****

Heated and wet from the shower he'd managed to get in while Leroy had gone downstairs for a fresh cup of coffee; once the pillow fight had ended with the lamp toppling off the nightstand, Tim stepped out of the tub –straight into the solid wall that was his lover.

"Goin' somewhere?" That rumbly timbered voice went straight to Tim's cock, as it danced to attention and came awake and alive.

Hands reached out to propel him back inside the tub but stopped as they held him secure at the shoulders. Before he could blink, his mouth was captured and drawn into a battle of wills, fueled by the ignited fire of lust Tim felt roaring up from his soul and could barely control the lightning speed in which it left him nearly breathless.

He'd already discovered that all he had to do was look into his lover's eyes or touch him and his lust for the man would take over. Now was no different and he couldn't get enough of him. Letting his hands wander of their own accord, he soon had the older man groaning his pleasure as Tim's fingers captured him, squeezing him gently before oh, so slowly running and down his length relentlessly. On top of the elation he felt at this extra time they had today – this moment – this sound of his lover's reaction to his touch – nearly made his heart burst with happiness.

Pulling back from the kiss with the need to breathe, Tim found himself crying out in unexpected ecstasy as his own swollen and weeping rod was swallowed whole and milked for all it could give by the warm, tight cavern that was his lover's mouth. "OH, God!" he moaned gutturally, grabbing desperately at the towel bar on the wall beside him for support. "So good! Don't stop!"

His lover's hands held him steady as he was swiftly backed up to the wall and the attention to his cock became relentless and pressurized just right, sending wave after wave of pure pleasure ricocheting all through his body. As the sensations rose up from deep within him, Tim found he couldn't even hold his head up anymore, letting it fall backwards to the wall with a thump. "Oh, God! Leroy, don't st….oh! Cuming! Oh…" his impending release had him keyed up and babbling, the white hot heat laying his self-control in tatters at his feet.

With a final firm milking pulling on his cock just right, Tim lost his footing over the edge and was gone, his shout of ecstasy filling the air, going straight to Leroy' own almost painfully hard cock while the older man held his lover tight through his release. Struggling to hold on, Leroy lost his grip as his own release took him over in Tim's wake.

*****NCIS******

Lying together in the wake of their first round of orgasms, the older man affectionately carded Tim's hair while the younger man lay back against him where they sat up against the headboard, quietly talking.

"This is what was bothering you when you woke up this morning, wasn't it?" Leroy asked him quietly now that Tim had opened up and told him what was on his mind.

Tim couldn't help but lean forward and turn enough to look into his lover's eyes. "I've spent so long fighting myself over wanting this, holding out on you, keeping you waiting at arms' length. I waited until yesterday to reward your patience. I feel bad we still haven't gone there yet." Tim replied in all seriousness.

"Hey. You hear me complainin'?"

"No. But you never complain. You've been so good to me. Letting me work into things gradually the way I asked."

"How 'bout we stop talkin' and just relax, hmm? I'm hungry and not for food." The seductive tone in his lover's voice re-set the mood and in an instant all thoughts of the conversation, were gone.

Tim swallowed hard as his lover's mouth came down for his own and soon their mouths were feasting on each other's, their tongues dancing and dueling as they wrapped each other up in arms that didn't want to let go. For countless minutes, the dance waged on until, finally, the need to breathe too over and together, they pulled away.

As Tim rested his head on his lover's shoulder, panting heavily he felt the older man's arms tighten around him comfortingly. Together, they rode out the effort it took to regain their normal breathing patterns. Lulled almost into a light snooze on the older man's shoulder, Tim was startled when he was gently propelled to lay back, his lover looming over him, caressing his cheek.

"Wherever this leads, is fine with me. It's still a beautiful gift and I treasure every minute of it." He punctuated his rare expression of sentiment with a tender kiss to Tim's temple.

Caught up in the sensual aura that had come over the room, the young man said nothing, preferring to let his lover keep control of what happened next.

"You need a rest?" The older man asked.

"No. "Tim was quick to answer his lover's concern. "I…"

"Go on."

Tim swallowed hard. "I…"

"Don't wanna stop until we reach the top this time." Leroy surmised as he thrilled Tim by once again reading his mind in a difficult conversation.

"Yeah."

"We can do that. " The promise in those four little words almost took Tim's breath away.

The look of anticipation and relief on Tim's face made the answer worth it, all by itself.

What came next was unexpected and elicited a yelp from Tim as the junction of his neck and shoulder was sharply nipped. "Ow!"

"Next time, just talk to me!" His lover chastised him in a growl.

Massaging the sore spot with his hand, Tim nodded in silent agreement.

"We clear?" Leroy pushed as he fought to shove away the anger he felt at the needless internal upheaval his lover had put himself through out of stubbornness.

"Clear." Tim quietly agreed before moving in for a kiss he could no longer wait for. The time had come and he intended to make the most of it.

*****NCIS*****

"Gonna taste you all over.' Leroy teased softly, countless electrifyingly passionate moments later, as they worked to recover their breaths to normal levels.

Still feeling the buzz from the impassioned kiss and caresses they'd gotten caught up in giving each other, Tim shivered in anticipation and rising need that he was already losing control of. The sound of Leroy's voice and the seductive promise that came with it sent a spasm of hot lust to his already hardening cock, wringing a moan from him that he could not stop.

"Starting right here." The older man continued seductively in warning just before he suckled a nipple, his cobalt blue eyes staying on Tim's and his face wreathed in a smile.

"God, that feels so good." Tim murmured. "Don't stop." He begged, squirming without hesitation.

"That's it, Tim." Leroy urged gravelly. "You like that?"

"Oh, God!" Tim moaned feeling more pleasured than he had ever before experienced in his adult life. "So good, Leroy." He murmured with genuine appreciation. It was nearly impossible to remain still, he was so aroused and burning with a need for the ultimate release he had yet to experience.

What seemed like hours later and both Tim and Leroy were nearly mindless under the waves of lustful pleasure, the fires of which they stoked between them. Tim moaned in unleashed ecstasy at the hands of his lover, his senses alive to the touches administered to him, stirring his responses and turning up the heat. It wasn't long before he couldn't keep his body still or his head down any longer, his eyes sought those of his lover, wanting, needing to read them and get lost in them.

Watching Tim squirm and nearly go mindless from the pleasure he was heaping on him nearly drove the silver-haired man over the edge. Taking a deep, yet ragged breath, he refocused – needing to take this all the way this time – for Tim – for both of them. He swallowed hard and leaned in to urge Tim to change things up now.

"Raise your arms over your head." he urged him, his voice still rough with rising passion. "Keep them there."

Completely trusting his lover, Tim obeyed immediately without hesitation, though he couldn't help but feel a stab of disappointment that he wouldn't be able to touch the man as they scaled this mountain together. He found comfort and strength in those hands and it was disconcerting not be able to touch them.

"Watch the mirror on the wall." Leroy coaxed as he began to blaze new fiery trails under his slowly moving fingers as they caressed Tim's body everywhere they could reach, beginning with the soles of his feet and moving upwards in sure, yet gentle strokes.

Tim smiled and tried to relax. He turned his head to look in the mirror that hung on the wall across from the bed. Time lost all meaning as Leroy meticulously massaged every inch of his younger lover's body, no place going untouched, his mouth planting kisses in every nook and cranny in the wake of his fingers.

"Mmm." Tim murmured. "So good to me."

Leroy smiled at the appreciation in his lover's words. "That's the way it should be."

Silence moved in, a silent partner in these surreal moments filled with rising need, want and passion as the massage traveled over every inch of Tim's body, followed by nips and nibbles and even kisses.

"Oh, God!" Tim moaned sometime later, feeling more pleasured than he'd ever before experienced in his adult life as his lover's hands reached his nether region and with whisper soft strokes, touched him everywhere there before moving north. "Feels so good, Leroy." He murmured with genuine appreciation as his legs shifted on their own, on fire with want and need for more.

Leroy looked up at Tim and saw his eyes were closed. He licked Tim's cock then sucked on the tip, swallowing down his pre-cum before taking it all the way in his mouth.

"AH!" Tim cried out in absolute ecstasy. "Oh, God! oh, don't stop!"

As the overpowering wave of breath-stealing pleasure roared through his veins, Tim's hands convulsed on the sheets as he wantonly writhed and arched, begging for the release that was just beyond his reach. "Oh, God! Leroy! Let me cum!" He begged.

"Not yet. Gonna take you all the way, now, Tim" Leroy breathed out raggedly, as he continued to feed the flame that was already close to incinerating his lover's control, one caressing brush of his warm hand on the younger man's swollen, throbbing cock at a time.

A shudder rippled through Tim's body at his lover's lust-filled, passion glazed promise that met Tim's eyes when they opened, and the erotic image it invoked and his body couldn't help but react, almost instinctively, his legs opening wider and his knees bending on their own.

"That's it, Tim." The older man breathed out as he rested his hand on the side of Tim's head and brushed his thumb over his cheek. "Ready?"

"God, yes. Please! I want to be yours, completely." Tim entreated, his body already alive and filling with wanton tension and hunger, restlessly moving on the bed.

Reaching out a hand, Leroy connected with the young man who sighed blissfully as the older man took his hand and spoke from his heart. "Already mine, Tim" His lover promised him hoarsely. "Already mine."

No sooner had he spoken then he took one of Tim's fingers into his mouth and suckled it, his eyes locked on those oceans of beautiful green in an erotic gaze that heated the very air between them. Taking each finger in turn, the older man suckled it briefly before letting Tim have it back, enjoying the uncensored vocal response to the attention all the while.

"Mmm." Tim murmured at the unexpected pleasure that sent him – going straight to his already rigid and weeping cock.

Letting the young man have his hand back, he moved his hands back to his lover's groin and once again, wrapped them around the impressively hardened and pulsing muscle. As his fingers strayed, they moved to his round globes and gently played with them and alternating back and forth relentlessly, keeping Tim's focus there until moving to the sensitive skin behind them, then back to his cock once more.

Gently, he squeezed it before letting his fingers return to caressing it to give him something to focus on as he rubbed a finger of his other hand over Tim's hole.

"Oooh! So good!" The younger moaned as the waves of pleasure rolled through him.

As he felt Leroy' finger gently swirling the lubricant around his entrance and massaged down to his hole, Tim drew in a sharp breath but let it out in a slow whoosh when his brain registered the erotic pleasure still being heaped on his cock with his lover's other hand. As those fingers kept going, he shivered in anticipation.

The cold sensation soon warmed as Leroy thoroughly caressed his hole before pushing his lone finger inside and stopped, waiting for his lover's reaction.

As he became accustomed to the feeling of his hole being breached, Tim couldn't help but push back slightly in search of more and only then did his lover ever so slowly start pushing his digit in and out. Tim smiled softly as his eyes flickered closed briefly before they opened again.

As the relentless hand on his cock was replaced with the warm, tight cavern that was his lover's mouth, Tim nearly came up off the bed in both ecstasy and shock. His eyes instantly flew open and grounded themselves in those smoldering blue orbs now darkened with lust and hunger, already watching him. The look, the feel, the pleasures wrung a moan of pure pleasure from his lips.

Tim felt the attention on his hole, focusing him just enough that his lover sucking on him didn't send him over the cliff. Tim's hands bunched around the blanket and his head tossed restlessly as his lover redirected his focus with a firmer sucking on his rod for a moment before that finger returned to Tim's hole, now pushing inside and again, he couldn't help but cry out as the pleasure his cock was experiencing overwhelmed all else. "Oh, God! Oh, God, Leroy! Don't stop!" Nearly going out of his mind with anticipation and heightened pleasure, Tim squirmed and nearly begged for more, his breaths coming in loud pants as his body writhed in rising uncontrollable need. Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer. He had to let it out some more. "More! Please, Leroy, more!"

Leroy smiled tenderly at the most erotic sight he'd ever seen since he'd lost his lifetime bed partner. The young man's frenetic restless search for more spurred him on. "We'll get there." Leroy finally crooned to his lover, releasing Tim's cock for the moment, just before he leaned down and swept his mouth up in a seductive kiss, his finger still working at stretching Tim's hole.

Before separating from the kiss, he inserted a second finger, swallowing the young man's hiss of discomfort into his kiss. His free hand milking Tim's cock kept the sensations coming at multiple levels to help his lover adjust easier and with less discomfort, as the younger man's now continuous moans of pleasure gave testament.

With a smile on his face at his lover's open responses, Leroy deliberately stayed quiet and let the only sounds be Tim's sensual cries while he put more lube on his fingers and started rubbing over his lover's hole with a little more pressure than he'd used before and slipped a third finger inside.

"Oh!" Tim cried out in surprise and discomfort as his body instantly stilled. The warm cavern once again sucked his cock in, distracting Tim and wringing another guttural moan from Tim's lips, obliterating the discomfort he'd felt on his hole. "Ooh! Leroy! Ooh, don't stop!"

With three fingers inside his hole now, Tim felt stretched and uncomfortable which stilled his body's frenetic movements, though the lust still roared through his veins from the vacuum going to town on his cock. He could barely hold back the now familiar tightening in his balls and the wave of heat rolling through him from down deep, heralding the oncoming orgasm.

Tim reached up towards his lover's cheek and Leroy stopped sucking on the younger man's already straining cock and leaned in for another kiss. Tim just relaxed and enjoyed the attention as his lover paused in his slide back down his body to kiss his nipples, earning the older man yet another passion filled moan of pleasure.

"Feel good?" Leroy asked throatily, leaning up to kiss his lover tenderly on the corner of his mouth.

"Oh, God, yes!" Tim moaned as he surged up into that warm wet cavern that had just descended on his weeping cock once more.

While his fingers of one hand stretched and flexed inside Tim's body, Leroy sheathed his own cock with a condom and lubed himself up with the other, groaning as he barely kept from exploding from all the barely contained pent up lust. He rubbed some more lube over Tim's hole, lined himself up and stopped, worried not only about hurting his lover, but that he wouldn't be able to make it so pleasurable for him that he'd come away from this moment with good memories enough to bring him back, rather than scare him off.

"Leroy." Tim's almost anxious tone reached through the older man's indecision and pulled him through,

"Relax," Leroy quietly urged his lover, a gentle caress down his cheek to calm him.

Tim smiled and nodded that he understood. Leroy' eyes met Tim's as he pushed his hard and straining cock just inside the young man's hole. As soon as the look on his lover's face changed, Leroy froze, giving Tim a minute to become accustomed to his size and the feeling it gave him.

The older man was grateful he could read his lover so well and could use that ability to climb this mountain with him, without undue pain. Patiently, he waited until his lover squirmed, signaling his readiness for more. Only then, did he move again, inching forward a little at a time, his lover's virgin passage almost painfully tight on his own needy, aching cock.

As Tim relaxed under his lover's continued stroking of his cock and full small globes beneath it, Leroy continued slowly pushing until he was all the way in, earning himself a groan of pain mixed with pleasure..

"Okay?" he asked.

"Yeah." His lover answered huskily, his voice broken with emotion and strain, their eyes locking onto each other and feeding each other's passion-fueled fire.

Leroy leaned over him and drew him into another passion laced kiss that lasted this time, until Tim started rocking against him.

"Not sure how easy I can be, Tim." The older man warned, his voice rough with tightly leashed control. "Been a long time."

Tim smiled with open invitation. "Take me, Leroy. Please, just take me. No need to be gentle."

"Don't wanna hurt ya."

"You won't."

The trust in that statement in the midst of this most intimate of levels to their relationship, left Leroy in awe as it shredded the last remnants of his self-control. Kissing Tim tenderly one more time, he deliberately fed his burning hunger enough from Tim's nectar, that the fire was stoked to incendiary levels, with a desperate need to be quenched.

"God, Tim. You feel so good! " The older man panted as he thrust long and hard, deliberately hitting his lover's prostate at least once every other stroke, turning Tim into a writhing, increasingly desperate pile of boneless goo, the vocal reactions coming non- stop now.

All the muscles in Tim's body tightened instinctively and his hands tightened around Leroy's waist and it was all Leroy could do to keep going without letting himself go over.

"Oh, God! Oh, God! Leroy! Feel….so….good…. OH! CUMING! NNGGGHHH!"

Feeling Tim tighten around his cock and hearing the absolute ecstasy in his lover's cries as he finally found his release, was all Leroy himself needed to fall over the edge. He moaned loudly as he came hard and deep inside Tim, then collapsed onto the younger man's chest, panting heavily.

*****NCIS*****

As soon as his breathing had evened out and he could think clearly, Leroy rose up and looked at his lover. Hovering above him and stroke his cheek, smiling as he finally spoke into the moment. "You feel so good,"

"Don't feel so bad yourself." Tim offered back tiredly, finally fully sated and content that he hadn't let his lover down; that they'd finally climbed to the top. They'd climbed that mountain and now they could take this trip together whenever they wanted, as often as they wanted and God, did he look forward to it!

Reaching out, Tim's fingers stroked his lover's hair, silently but with all the tenderness he felt in this moment.

Leaning into his lover's attention, Leroy couldn't resist kissing him again, tenderly, gently, and ooh, so erotically, as if drawing them back to the moment their passion's fuse had been lit.

Wrapping his arm around his lover's neck, Tim pulled him closer, meshing their mouths even tighter, the heat rising between them once more. Still wrung out and now breathless, Tim was quick to pull back, panting and completely done in.

"I'm glad it took us this long, Tim. I wouldn't have missed any of our journey for the world." Leroy murmured as he stroked the young man's hair.

"It has been amazing." Tim admitted reverently as exhaustion finally pulled him under and he nestled into his lover's arms as sleep took him away.


	12. Chapter 11

_Let the vacation of a lifetime begin!  
>oh, but keep those fans handy<em>

* * *

><p>By two in the afternoon, they were both ready to go and the house stood in almost complete darkness in preparation for their trip. They'd be gone for a week so no food was left in the refrigerator to spoil and all lights were off, save one.<p>

The day had been eaten up with a shared shower after a couple more hours of sleep, badly needed after their most passionate start to the morning. With one last affectionate carding of the young man's hair, Leroy shared a lingering kiss with Tim as they stood at the door and was sorely tempted to draw it out even more.

"MMMMM! Leroy, we really do have to go" Tim insisted as he pulled back reluctantly, hating like hell that they would have to wait for another chance for them to make love to each other. He was holding on so tightly to his own self-control, he thought he would surely give in any second now.

"You're right." Leroy offered with open remorse in his tone. "Let's hit the road."

"Rain check waiting for you at six tonight." Tim whispered conspiratorially, a grin on his face as he stepped outside, no longer within reach of any retaliatory move his lover might make.

Shaking his head in silent laughter, the older man followed in his lover's wake, getting in behind the wheel – their vacation finally underway.

******NCIS******

Four hours, one non-stop flight and countless frustrating minutes later, they finally reached their first destination - Dallas, Texas. Leroy was worried that Tim had been remarkably quiet and nervous since they'd gotten out of the car at the airport in D.C. Speaking only when necessary and his now familiar soft smile in exchange for what would normally be something said, screamed that something was wrong.

Adding to the equation was the distance the younger man had been very careful to keep between them during their trip. Leroy couldn't help but wonder what his lover's motivation was, although he didn't comment on any of it or even give him a hard time about it.

Leroy didn't have much time to think about it any longer once they reached the baggage claim at the airport. Tim immediately pointed to a shuttle pick-up desk and headed that way, leaving his lover behind to pick up the bags. By the time the luggage had been claimed, Tim was back at his side with what looked like boarding passes and pointed them toward the appropriate exit door.

The quiet and quick shuttle ride to their hotel too less than fifteen minutes and before the older man knew it, he was following a still quiet Tim McGee into the hotel lobby and watching him get them checked in. With their reservation firmly in place, it was barely ten minutes later that found them alone in their room, their luggage already waiting for them.

Taking only a minute to look around the very nice but not absurdly so, room, Leroy locked the door and reached for his lover, starving for a taste of him after being so close to him all day without being able to even reach out and touch him. Less than 24 hours into this more intimate level of their relationship and the older man was astonishingly insatiable, just a hair's breadth away from throwing his lover down and burying himself inside him, taking him hard and fast.

Even as Tim willing stepped immediately into his lover's space, the worry still lingered in his expression, dousing the older man's fire enough so that he could think straight.

Brushing the hair back from the young man's eyes, his lover probed for answers. "What is it? Why the distance and what are you worried about?"

"I didn't want to … didn't want to share… us with the world yet."

Tim's explanation said more for what wasn't vocalized than for what was. He was right. The world at large was generally cruel when they didn't share your view, especially when it comes to relationships. This being the Christmas holiday, Tim hadn't wanted anything negative being said or done that could have adversely affected anyone's holiday. With that in mind, Tim had done what he could to present the front of two male relatives traveling together, no more, no less.

Leroy smiled softly as he pulled Tim in for a kiss that was long overdue. Before things could ignite out of control, he pulled back just enough to look his lover in the eye. "Thank you."

Looking back at the older man with a look of confusion, Tim waited for the explanation he knew would be coming.

"For what you did today and for this." His lover explained, arm extended out to include the room at large in his gesture. Pulling Tim even closer, he spoke roughly into his ear. "But I'll always treasure the gift you gave me at home, the most."

His eyes bright with unshed tears of happiness and relief, Tim sank into the older man's embrace, soaking up the moment that, for him, reflected back to their relationship before this new level had been traveled.

"You were right." Leroy said quietly as he too, stood still and relished the moment. "You were right to ask me to wait."

"I know." Tim replied quietly with no trace of arrogance or cockiness in his tone. "We both needed the time."

Adept at reading Tim's unspoken messages better now than ever before, Leroy felt his heart quicken. This selfless young man had patiently waited until he'd been absolutely certain they'd both been able to move past their own personal pain and heartaches of loves lost and been ready to focus only on each other; to give each other their all.

As the full weight of Tim's thoughtfulness and self-control settled into the older man's heart and mind, Leroy found himself wanting, needing to take Tim to the top and soar with him, higher than they'd flown this morning. Just the thought of it, filled him with a lust so powerful, it nearly drove him to his knees, With his voice thick with the overpowering emotions and the oncoming wave of desire, he busied his hands in Tim's hair, deliberately going so far as to massage his scalp as he reminded him of his promise. "I'll take that rain check now."

Caught in the magnetic wave of his lover's desperation, so plainly evident in his tone, Tim pressed himself into the other man's space unabashedly, their cocks colliding with an electric jolt that left both of them gasping for breath. Almost instantly, Tim's arms moved of their own, reaching up to caress his lover, as the older man had done for him so many times already. Feeling the power of need to make this man feel all the pleasure he could bring him, Tim whispered into the moment.

"Let me make love to you, Leroy."

Leroy swallowed hard, eyes ablaze with lust and love looking back at him, asking only to be allowed to give back. He could barely think, but somehow he managed to formulate a response, roughened by emotions as it was. "I'd like that."

Now it was Tim's turn to give; to do the heavy lifting, to do all he could do for his lover; to give him the best experience he could – it was a challenge he set for himself and one for which he knew he was ready. But they were still dressed.

With a smile, Tim began undressing himself, knowing his lover would follow suit. Sure enough, with eyes locked together in an unbreakable bond of heightening lust, need and anticipation, they were both finally free of their clothes in less than a minute. Without words, their mouths meshed together once more, their tongues passionately dancing as their hands frenetically caressed each other, the flame already set too high.

Pulling back from the kiss, his breath already ragged and harsh, Tim embarked on a sensual journey of his own, his lips and hands, his fingertips, all blazing trails everywhere they possibly could on his lover's body, starting at the man's chest and working all as one, toward the goal of eliciting cries of pleasure from his lover, along the way. Stopping along the way to nibble and nip, here and there and even a suckle or two on some very sensitive nipples.

With every tiny moment of connection, Tim's heart soared a little higher until he felt it would burst out of his chest – a feeling that intensified when the pleasure he was bestowing on Leroy, brought forth that first moan of pleasure from the older man.

As he wrapped his hand around his lover's warm, hardened cock, his own pulsed and throbbed. Swallowing back his own moan of pure pleasure, Tim smiled as Leroy let loose an erotic low moan as his hips rose, pushing his throbbing muscle further into Tim's hand. "Feels good, don't stop, Tim!"

Tim smiled as he sensually caressed the hardened length and felt his lover settle into the pleasurable wave it obviously sent through him, contentedly closing his eyes and thrusting again and again into Tim's hand, the rhythm setting them both ablaze. Tim's breathing grew harsher and his own cock, now hard, heavy, ached for release.

Even as he bit down on his moan and fought not to devour the man's mouth in the soul-searing kiss he was hungry for, Tim stuck to his plan; pleasuring this man as much as he could. Needing to see his lover's eyes, he reached out and caressed his cheek.

Opening his eyes in surprise, even with the molten lava of desire flowing thought him, Leroy's breath nearly stalled at the sight of his lover watching him expectantly with eyes overflowing with want and need of his own. When Tim reached for his hand, it surprised him but he he was even more surprised when his lover swooped down on him and swallowed him whole, bringing him up off the bed in an electric jolt of pure, unadulterated ecstasy. "Oh! God! Tim!"

Tim suckled his lover's swollen, throbbing rod like a starving man, yet didn't let go of his hand or unlock his eyes from those beautiful blue orbs looking back at him with open passion and trust. Locked together in three places; they rode to the top of that cliff together, with the younger man teasing, licking and milking his lover every step of the way.

Leroy fought to lay still and simply enjoy the most pleasurable ride of his life, but couldn't hold back his moans or keep his free hand from reaching out and gripping Tim's hair convulsively, "So good!. God, Tim!"

Relentlessly, Tim took him further, drove him harder and milked him until he felt the older man tighten up and tense; still Tim kept going until his lover cried out his release as he was hurled over the top, with one last hoarse cry. "Ngh!"

His lover arched himself into Tim's cavern and filled it, the look of absolute ecstasy played out on his face, these precious moments forever stamping itself in Tim's most precious memories.

*****NCIS*****

As the shower, so hot it felt like a sauna, massaged his sore and aching body, Tim couldn't help but smile. He had never before found so much joy and pleasure in making love but now, standing here under the shower, he reflected back on the unforgettable look of pure ecstasy on his lover's face as he'd watched the older man succumb to the after effects of his strong release. It was a moment he'd always cherish. He wished he could have frozen it forever.

Tim had not only pleasured his lover just the way he'd wanted to; but he'd worn him out and now the man was sleeping peacefully; having fallen under even before Tim had begun cleaning him with a warm towel. When finished, Tim had caressed his cheek, kissed the corner of his mouth and slipped into the shower.

Now he continued to relax under the water, enjoying the time to close his eyes and replayed the moments he and Leroy had shared at this new level of intimacy over the last 24 hours. Lulled into bliss by the heat of the water and his sensual memories, Tim never heard the bathroom door open or even the shower door as the object of his thoughts stepped inside.

But when his lover's strong warm hands suddenly encased his semi-hard and already swelling cock from behind, Tim's knees went weak and he grabbed for the towel bar as he gasped for breath and practically fell back into the man's strong chest.

"Oh. God! Leroy!" he breathed out on short breaths.

"Feel good?" His lover asked him seductively in his ear.

"God, Yes!" Tim whimpered in pleasure.

Leroy's next words nearly sent Tim over the edge. "Good. My turn."


	13. Chapter 12

The football game the following afternoon passed in a blur of cold; hunkering down against the wind for hours but with his lover's expression clearly visible to Tim out of the corner of his eye, his primary focus was far from the cold and he felt nothing but happiness. There was no doubt Leroy was having the time of his life, thoroughly enjoying himself and the game as the Dallas Cowboys took on the New Orleans Saints. Truth be told, Tim was so cold he couldn't even remember who won. The only thing that stuck in his mind was the happiness on Leroy's face.

Even the warmth of the hotel shuttle and his jacket, which was still wrapped tightly around him, failed to warm Tim's frozen body as they were shuttled back to the airport after the game, their luggage already having been picked up by the shuttle service as part of the package deal. They had a plane to catch and couldn't afford to miss it. Too much was riding on these plans working out as they were supposed to, regardless of whether or not Tim was able to get warm now.

"Tell me again, why we're not just driving ourselves, Tim." Leroy pushed, knowing the young man would take it for the spirit in which it was given – that of the pure fun of giving him a hard time.

"It's a surprise." Tim gave back with a grin that welcomed the challenge of more questions, despite still shivering from the cold.

Smiling without arguing, Leroy resolved to enjoy the rest of whatever his lover had planned for him. It would ruin the effect of this all being his Christmas present if he resisted any more and that was something he just wouldn't do.

Even as Tim, once again, put only as much space between them as respectably necessary while they boarded their plane and sat through their short flight, the older man refused to make things difficult for him. Leroy couldn't help but notice the shivering and while he knew the distance the younger man kept between them was a façade and understood the reasons why, he had to resist the urge to make those shivers turn from cold to pure raw heat.

*****NCIS*****

Having arrived in Austin, they were now walking through the busy airport, with their luggage trolley in tow. While Leroy was more than ready to be at their destination, wherever and whatever that might be, Tim seemed silently determined to keep going, by the looks of things having some secret destination in mind. All the older man could think of was finally being able to be alone with his lover and enjoy the closeness they'd worked so hard to find with each other and become comfortable in, as soon as they stopped 'stretching their legs' as Tim claimed they were doing.

After what seemed like hours, they came to a restaurant that apparently appealed to him, as he stopped and pointed to it. With a sigh of relief, Leroy nodded and followed him inside, pleased that at long last they were able to stop moving and sit still.

"Guess you're not gonna tell me why we're eatin' here instead of going on to wherever it is we're stopping for the night?" Leroy asked with a smile.

"Thought you might be hungry." Tim shrugged his shoulders in an attempt to promote nonchalance, though it wasn't an attitude that fit him very well.

The response he received was in the darkening look of hunger in his lover's eyes. Tim shook his head slightly, his own eyes silently asking the older man to dial it back for both their sakes. Swallowing hard around the sudden lump in his throat, Tim quietly spoke into the heavy atmosphere now between them. "Let's eat."

With a look that promised they were far from finished with this conversation, Leroy gave his own slight nod and picked up his menu, turning his focus to dinner.

*****NCIS*****

Thirty minutes later, with their after dinner coffee sitting in front of them, Tim glanced over his lover's shoulder before getting to his feet and quietly telling him he was going to the head. Unexpectedly, Leroy stood, as well, freezing Tim in his steps. "Something wrong?" he quickly asked the older man.

"Nope. Need to stretch my own legs."

"I'll be right back." Tim replied with a warm smile.

Watching Tim walk away, Leroy was struck at how much the young man had matured since he'd known him. Lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't see the person who'd stopped next to him, as he turned to go ask to the waitress behind the cash register for a cup of coffee to go, offering them an apology before he'd even looked their way. "I'm sorry."

"Never apologise. It's a sign of weakness." The familiar voice said gruffly. "At least that's what my son seems to think."

Raising his head, his eyes wide open in shock as he took in what he couldn't believe to be real, Leroy almost couldn't find the words. "Dad?"

"Hello, Son. Merry Christmas."

*****NCIS*****

"… and so you see, Son, this young man here is quite thorough in his resourcefulness and planning." Jackson Leroy ended his tale with high praise for Tim's efforts to pull the details together.

"Yeah, I can see that, Dad." Leroy remarked with a touch of pride, his eyes twinkling with a happiness few ever got to see in him. He ached to pull Tim into an embrace for an intimate expression of gratitude; show him just how much he appreciated this priceless gift he'd given him of Christmas with his father; yet another treasure that Leroy would always keep in his heart.

"I don't get too many opportunities to surprise you, Jethro," Jack remarked as Tim appeared in the doorway with his luggage and added it to their luggage trolley.

Tim smiled broadly at the sight of the two Gibbs men together for Christmas and the expressions of wondrous joy that graced both their expressions in these first few moments of shocked greeting. This is what made all that effort and the thousand phone calls and payments and selling the Porsche all worth it. He wouldn't trade this moment for anything in the world.

"Merry Christmas, Son."

"Merry Christmas, Dad."

Clearing his throat, Tim looked apologetically at first Jackson and then Leroy. "We need to go. Our car's waiting for us out front."

*****NCIS*****

"So, Tim." Jackson spoke a few minutes later as they began walking to the car Tim had pointed to nearby. "You ever gonna tell me where it is we're goin'?"

"I guess being patient and letting people surprise you is not a family trait?" Tim joked as he closed the trunk lid on their luggage and walked to the driver's side.

Noticing Leroy get in the front passenger seat, Tim smiled as he got in the car amidst the laughter his quip had brought out in both father and son.

As the laughter subsided, the travel weary men grew quiet, letting the ensuing silence settle in for the ride. Not expecting any further conversation, Tim was surprised some twenty minutes later, when Jackson spoke. "So, Jethro, Tim - one of you gonna tell me how long you two have been together?"

His hands tightening on the steering wheel so tight, they were nearly translucent, Tim swallowed hard. They'd talked about this, he and Leroy; when and what to tell the Senior Leroy and they'd decided that they'd do it when it felt right for the both of them; sometime after the holidays when things had settled down and were more defined between them. Now, that decision had been wrestled from their hands – putting Leroy in a really bad spot with his father and Tim felt responsible. He hoped this would go well even though he felt slightly tripped up and tongued-tied. He had not expected this to happen.

Leroy watched his lover's reaction to the Senior Gibbs' question and hoped Tim would realize he had no reason to feel bad about Jackson figuring things out before they'd told him personally. He wondered which one of them would jump in and answer the older man first. Staring at Tim for a long minute, hoping the heat of his gaze would compel the young man to look his way, Leroy was disappointed when it became obvious by the way Tim's eyes remained locked on the road, that Tim wasn't ready; leaving this conversation in his hands.

Finally, Leroy broke the silence, which had begun to feel uncomfortable, turning to look his father straight on as he did. "Been working on building something for a long time, Dad."

That quiet declaration was met with another round of silence and it seemed like forever before Jackson spoke again. "Well, that's a good thing. Taking your time and making sure it's right for both of you; that it's what you both want; that you're both happy and that you truly care for one another the way you both deserve to be cared for; that's what's important."

Taking his father's reply for the love and support he knew it was meant to be, Leroy offered his father a response. "Thanks, Dad."

"How about you, Tim?"

Blushing, Tim nodded but didn't say anything. Blinking to clear his vision, he concentrated on his driving as he pulled in off the main road and stopped at a building that looked remarkably like an office. "We're here." Getting out of the car, Tim strode toward the building to get them checked in.

"Was it something I said, Leroy?" Jackson was quick to ask his son.

Breathing out a sigh of frustration, Leroy had his own question that he needed answered. "Why the different names, Dad? You almost always call me Leroy, been callin' me Jethro since you got here."

'I noticed when Tim spoke of you over the phone, he slipped up and almost called you Leroy once or twice. Told me all I needed to know. Since that's what he calls you, it's only fittin' that I revert to calling you Jethro – like you asked me to do when you were a little boy."

"Thanks, Dad." Leroy offered. "When did Tim call you?"

"Oh, the last time before last night was about a month ago – said he needed to confirm travel plans. He wouldn't tell me anything else about those plans he first called me about back in May, but he wanted to make sure everything would be good to go."

"So, you've known for a month."

"That he cares deeply for you – yes. That you're important to him? Since you brought your work to Stillwater. Couldn't miss it. You didn't answer my question, Son."

"Yeah. Dad. It was… Tim wanted our relationship to remain just between us. We were gonna tell you after the holidays. This trip is his Christmas present to me and he's worried about negative reactions from the public – to the point where he won't let himself be… himself."

"Well, that explains why you two don't look like a couple."

"Yeah."

"And you agree with him on this?"

"I respect his reasons. He doesn't want anything to spoil this trip. And I care enough about how he feels; how much being able to do this for me; with me, means to him, to support his decisions on it."

"You must really love him, Jethro."

Leroy swallowed hard as the memory of just how much of himself Tim had poured into Leroy's Christmas presents back home flooded his memory. Forcing himself to put that memory away, he thought about what his father had just said; Tim had planned this back in May, for him. Every single thing Tim had done on this trip had been for him. Come to think of it, every moment they'd spent together these last few months had been just as uplifting and endearing. Blinking back the unexpected moisture clouding his vision, Leroy answered his father from the heart. "Yeah, Dad, I do."

*****NCIS*****

"All set." Tim informed them as he got back in the car a few minutes later, keys and a handful of brochures in hand. Putting it in reverse, he shifted back into drive and drove them toward their final destination for the night. Along the way, he quietly offered them a little more information about where they were headed. "Two bedrooms with a 3rd bed out in the living room. Bathroom's in the hallway – kitchen's got everything except an oven. We've got an early morning appointment to get the day started so I'll unload the car while you two get comfortable. I know you've both had a long day."

"Tim." Jack spoke up, wanting to fix the way they'd gone off-beat earlier.

"Jack. I'm sorry for the way I reacted earlier. And I know Leroy's probably already explained it to you, but we were going to tell you later. After the holidays."

"So you were just gonna act like relatives this entire trip?"

"In public." Tim's ears blushed as he voiced that private admittance. "Still the plan."

Jackson frowned. "Well, I think you're only hurtin' yourselves that way – but I do understand your reasoning. But, don't even think of puttin' on any show like that for my benefit!"

Tim chuckled. "Thanks, Jack. Here's the cabin, I'll unlock the door and get the luggage."

*****NCIS*****

Fifteen almost silent minutes later found all three tucked up in their rooms, more than ready to call it a night.

Tim was quick to shed his shirt, shoes and pants, leaving him dressed only in his undershirt, socks and boxer briefs. Drawing back the covers on his side of the bed, he sat down on the edge of the bed and got comfortable as he maneuvered around to sitting with his head against the headboard and his feet stretched out in front of him.

Leroy stood still and watched his lover move, every movement turning up the heat in the older man's loins. It had been an excruciating day, not being able to touch Tim at all and he was more than ready to make love to this beautiful man who, at this moment was watching him almost expectantly, with glazed and heated eyes, obviously feeling the same way. Locking eyes with him, Leroy felt compelled to approach his side of the bed and before he realized it, his feet had taken him there.

Reaching out for his lover's hand, Tim gently pulled him down, the older man straddling him a moment later. With his arms wrapping around his lover's body, the younger man pulled him close for a kiss as they slid down together off the pillows.

It was but a minute before that kiss became a heated dance neither one could get enough of, their hands roving seductively all over each other's body. The moans and groans came without effort, though the ability to keep them quieter than usual seemed to happen on its own. Only the need to breathe pulled their lips apart and in that moment, the older man turned up the heat, his hands reaching inside Tim's briefs and wrapping themselves around the younger man's already throbbing cock, as he swallowed his lover's moan of pure bliss with a heart-stopping kiss.

"Need to be in you, Tim." He gravelly admitted as he slid down his lover's body, stripped the one remaining barrier from him, turning him enough to massage his hole, his breath catching in his throat as he heard Tim get the lube from the table where they'd set it earlier. When the cap was flipped off of it and a cool gel lathered hand met his at his lover's hole, Leroy' eyes flew to the younger man's; the want and need there deep enough, he thought he'd drown.

Tim's hands shifted on his and together, hands in unison, they prepped Tim to take Leroy in, the tension in the young man's limbs causing them to move and stretch wider almost of their own. "Take me, Leroy." Tim urged, his own lust burning in his eyes and filling his tone. "Now, please."

Reaching for the condom, the older man was surprised when Tim stopped him, shaking his head. "I wanna feel just you."

The image that invoked sent Gibb's fire through the roof and he swallowed hard as he lined up his cock and gently eased it inside. As Tim squirmed with the still uncomfortable feeling, the older man reached out and stroked his lover's cock, refocusing the sensations flowing through the younger man.

"Oh, Leroy." Tim moaned as his body shifted restlessly, searching for more. "More. Please, don't stop!"

When his lover pushed down on his cock where it lay still just inside, asking for more, the older man impaled him, driving himself all the way in, fully, deeply and with a groan of absolute pleasure. "So, good, Tim. So tight." He groaned.

Overcome with the fullness and the pleasure that ripped through him, all Tim could do was toss his head and moan, "Oh, don't stop. Oh, Leroy, so good!"

"Look at me." Leroy urged his lover as he drove his cock relentlessly in deep strokes in and out, in and out, his own impending orgasm approaching as his body tightened up in readiness for that flight.

Looking at his lover, eyes locked with the wave of hunger that held them in its grip, Tim couldn't speak. There were no words that even came close in moments such as this. As his heart beat wildly and his breathing became harsh along with the tightening of his limbs and balls, Tim tried to hold back, to slow things down.

Reaching out for his lover, he locked hands with him and gently tugged. "Let go," Leroy moaned gutturally as he pulled Tim's upper body up towards him and drove deeper into his tight warm tunnel, hitting Tim's prostate just so, his lover lost his hold on that ledge and was gone, his shout suddenly swallowed in a brutal kiss that nearly stole his breath away.

Following the wake of Tim's explosive release, Leroy was gone, too, his own exploding almost in tandem with Tim's. The strength of that release nearly stole his breath away. He'd never experienced anything like it before. Tired and completely drained, Leroy couldn't move as he watched his lover give in to the boneless state his own orgasm had left him in.

Still trembling and fighting for breath, Tim flopped back on the bed, drawing a limp and replete Leroy down with him, neither of them moving, still connected in every way, as exhaustion swept them both away.

*****NCIS*****

Bright morning sunshine filtering through the blinds on the window dragged Leroy from his sleep, his body stiff yet comfortably cushioned on a warm body that was beginning to move, stirring his formerly lax cock back to life. Feeling the need for a shower, he reluctantly pulled himself free from his lover and got up out of bed, careful not to wake him.

As the water cascaded down on him, he thought back to the intimate moments he'd had with his lover in the last 48 hours and it nearly sent him over the edge just replaying some of them in his mind. Finishing up his shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist after toweling himself dry, and headed back to the bedroom with a hot wet washcloth.

Sitting down beside his lover, he reached out and began to clean him up from last night's fun and explosive ending. His ministrations woke the younger man who apparently found the washing to be most provocative and arousing, as his now awake and rising member was attesting to.

"Hey.' Leroy greeted Tim as he bent down and kissed his mouth.

"MMM. Morning." Tim greeted as he squirmed and reached for his lover.

"Don't have time this morning." Leroy reminded him apologetically.

"I know." Tim answered as he reluctantly let go and got up. "But it'll be worth it, I promise you that." He offered as he quickly slipped into his sweatpants and t-shirt, leaving his feet bare has he headed towards the door, intent on making time for a quick breakfast.

Stepping into the younger man's path, Leroy kissed him seductively before letting him go again. "Already worth getting up for."

Smiling cheekily, he beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen


	14. Chapter 13

_Some bumps in the road for our couple - oh, but bring that fan!_

* * *

><p>In the kitchen, they were surprised to find Jackson already up and cooking them a nice breakfast of eggs and sausage with toast. Even the coffee was already brewing.<p>

"Appreciate this, Dad." Leroy offered as he sat down at the table. "You sleep okay?"

"Slept fine, Jethro. Better than I expected to in a cabin in the woods of a State Park."

"You found the brochures I picked up for you. I'll bet you read every one of them." Tim remarked with a smile.

"About this place? Oh, yeah. You picked a great place, Tim. This place has everything from hiking and swimming in a pool to fishing and swimming in the lake!"

"And yet the only thing we're here for is the spacious cabins that have real beds instead of bunk beds." Tim quipped with pure laughter in his expression.

As the Gibb men laughed with him, Tim stored the image of this memory safely away in his treasure chest, knowing that his photographic memory would keep each detail – the smiles, the laughter of both men - fresh in his mind. It felt great.

"Actually, since we'll be here for two days, we're here for whatever else you want to do while we're here." Tim corrected his earlier statement sheepishly as he watched the other two men's eyes light up at that news.

"Coffee's ready." Jackson turned to the coffee maker.

"How was your trip, Dad? We were so tired last night; I didn't get the chance to ask you."

"Oh, it was fine. Even the layover was fine." Jackson answered his son's question calmly as he poured the three of them their coffee.

"How long was it?" Leroy took a swig of his coffee while he waited for the answer.

"The trip?"

"The layover." The younger Gibbs set his cup down and looked pointedly as his father with that correction.

"Doesn't matter, Jethro. I rather enjoyed myself. "Jackson turned back to the stove and served up the three plates of eggs and sausage.

"Dad. How. Long. Was. It?"

"A little over five hours." The almost off-handed answer felt like a sonic boom had been let off around them.

Turning to the youngest man in the room, the one who had made all the arrangements for their travel plans, Gibbs' angry eyes flashed as his growl reinforced the strength of his anger even while his father was setting his breakfast down in front of him. "Five hours?"

"Jethro! Leave him alone! I was fine!" Jackson Gibbs admonished his son as he set Tim's plate down in front of him.

Tim remained calm as he looked not back at his lover, but at Jack. "How'd it go?"

"Well, Tim. Oddly enough there were two security guards who took an active interest in my well-being while I waited for my next flight, almost from the moment I stepped off the plane! In fact, if they hadn't been wearing those uniforms and name tags and such, I would have been worried they were up to no good! "

Tim smiled softly. "They took good care of you then?" He picked up his fork and dug into his breakfast while he waited to hear the older man's answer.

"Oh, did they ever! Wasn't fifteen minutes between one or the other stopping by to check up on me and talk to me; always bringing me something to eat or drink when they did. Heck, they even escorted me to the john, for heaven's sake!" Jackson answered as he joined them at the table with his own plate and sat down to eat. "And they had me sit where they could keep an eye on me from their post!"

"So, in other words, you weren't in any danger from being mugged or mistreated by anyone because those two …" Tim asked quietly after swallowing one more bite of food.

"Made me their pet project or so it seemed from the minute I walked through the door. Have to admit, it was kinda nice to have younger people stopping long enough in their daily lives to concern themselves with an old man like me. But now that I think about it, that wasn't odd at all, it was you, wasn't it Tim?" Jackson asked as he raised his coffee cup up to his mouth and took a drink.

"I wasn't about to let you sit in an airport for that long and not have someone reliable and trustworthy looking out for you, Jack." Tim quietly explained why he'd made those arrangements for the older man. Looking at Gibbs finally, but only for a brief glance, Tim looked back at Jack. "Excuse me. I need to take a shower. We have to leave in 30 minutes. Thank you for breakfast."

As he walked from the room, he could feel the eyes of both older men on him, but still he kept going and he kept his head up. He'd done nothing wrong and if Leroy couldn't trust him more than what he'd just exhibited in front of his father, there was little Tim could do about it. The one thing he wouldn't do was feel guilty for any of it. Tim stripped quickly and jumped in the shower, letting the steaming massage of the water soothe him and his aching muscles.

*****NCIS*****

"What the hell's the matter with you?" Jackson Gibbs turned on his son, his fork waving in the air for emphasis. "That young man adores you; trusts you with his life and his heart! Don't you know him at all? I barely know him, but in the few times I've met him and talked to him, I know him enough to trust him more than you just did!"

"I know, Dad." Leroy breathed out almost dejectedly.

"You know? Then what the hell was that all about, Jethro? What exactly is it that you know, son?"

"I know he'd have done the same thing if you'd only been laid over for an hour."

"So, you do know him better than that."

"Yeah, Dad. I do."

"And trust, Leroy?" His father asked, reverting back to the name he used for his son when he was deeply concerned about him- in this case, obviously being worried about how the younger man was feeling.

"With my life." The normally quietly stoic younger man answered without question.

"That makes two of us, son. It was my fault for procrastinating about the trip; the reason his choices in flights for me were limited. You should have known it wasn't anything he had done. Now I think you'd better stop wasting time trying to convince me that you trust him more than this and go make amends to that young man of yours before his heart breaks."

"He's tougher than that." Leroy replied firmly.

"Oh? So, he's immune to feelings then?" Jackson returned dryly.

Leroy glared at his father and turned to leave the room, desperate to fix things with Tim. Stopping, he turned around to make sure the elderly man was going to be okay while he and Tim talked. He had to smile as his father walked toward the front door of the cabin and pulled it open, hat in hand.

Stopping to look back at his son, Jackson spoke. "I'll be outside lookin' around the place. Don't make me have to come back in and get you two!"

With a silent huff of laughter, Leroy stepped inside the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Pausing just inside the door, he gave himself a hard slap to the head for doubting Tim, for even thinking of doubting him. What the hell brought that on in the first place? He hadn't doubted Tim with anything or felt even a twinge of mistrust in him in years, not since his early probie days!

He had to admit, that the reaction had been a knee-jerk one, brought on by the thought of his elderly father being stuck so far from home in a huge airport, vulnerable and alone. He knew Tim would understand and that they'd work through it, but in hindsight, he wished he'd thought before opening his mouth this time and he vowed to think twice before opening his mouth the next time.

*****NCIS*****

Tim hated that Leroy was angry at him, but he also had faith in the man and his sense of fairness; so much so that he knew the older man would not stay angry at him for long. In fact, knowing him as well as he did now, Tim figured, as he continued to let the massaging heated water soothe his body and his tension, that right about now his lover would be realizing his misjudgment and the hurt it had brought with it. They'd be working through it and coming out on the other side of this before too long.

Getting out of the shower, Tim quickly towel dried himself before wrapping one towel around his waist, tucking it inside at the top and using a second towel to dry his hair. Padding barefoot back to the bedroom, he opened the silent door and stopped in the doorway at the sight in front of him.

The sight of his lover leaning against the window and staring pensively out of it had Tim's heart skipping a beat. He wasn't happy to be right about this at the expense of Leroy's happiness and sense of peace and contentment. Nothing was supposed to have spoiled this Christmas vacation and yet, they were already going through their second conflict. They may be minor skirmishes or even just bumps in the road like last night, but they were still important, especially in terms of the bigger picture of who they were to each other and for each other.

Enough was enough. It was time to put an end to this one and let the happiness back into this trip and this relationship. Walking up to his lover, Tim stopped just inches from him. There was nothing he could do until Leroy verbally let it be known Tim wasn't in the dog house with him anymore. Until that door was opened, the younger man couldn't move things anywhere.

As his lover stepped up beside him, Leroy breathed in deeply, the smell of freshness and coconut shampoo that was all Tim, filling his senses, filling him with a wave of want so deep, he had to catch his breath to hang on. Turning his eyes to his, the older man spoke first. "I know you better than I gave you credit for out there."

Tim smiled, his eyes bright with the light of it as he stepped closer. That was all he'd needed to hear. The door had just been opened wide and this time, nothing was going to stop Tim from stepping inside.

"Tim, I..."

A finger held up to his lips stopped his words and when that finger was replaced with lips that tenderly kissed him, Leroy swallowed hard.

Tim's hands slipped underneath the older man's shirts and blazed a trail all over his chest, working their way down to his navel before slipping free of the man's clothing and moving to the front of his waist and going further south still, ghosting over the prize they sought, through the fabric of his jeans.

As his lover's breath caught, even while still locked in the soul-searing kiss, Tim's hands unzipped the pants and slipped inside, cradling the soft, yet hardening, thickening muscle, pulling a low moan of pleasure from Leroy, muffled through their kiss.

Extracting the now swollen and weeping cock and lavishing it with attention in gentle sweeping caresses mixed in with an occasional stilled cradling along with a thumb stroke across the tip, Tim gently began to withdraw the older man's mouth from the kiss at the same time, until Leroy was left breathless yet so hot from the molten lava Tim had poured into his veins; was still pouring, he felt like he was on fire; his eyes glazed and dark with wanton lust.

Reaching out, Tim took Leroy's hands in his and locked heated gazes with him as he sank to his knees on the floor and swallowed him whole.

"OH! God, Tim!" Leroy felt his knees nearly buckle and he gripped the hands that held his tightly as he did his best to stand still while the rush of pure pleasure washed through him. "Tim!"

Without looking away or letting go of him, the younger man continued to show his lover just how much he treasured him and what they had. This newer level of intimacy was one he deeply cherished as he poured into it all that he felt for Leroy. Tim lavished the man now with everything he had to give as he sent him higher and higher up the heights of ecstasy until the ultimate release was upon him, and the older man couldn't hold back, his body trembling though his spine tingling orgasm, only the strength of Tim's hands locked in his, holding him up. "NGGHH!"

Licking his lover clean, Tim stood up and kissed the man gently once more before pulling back. "We're gonna be late."

"Late is good." Leroy offered weakly as he tried to steal a kiss.

"Not this time." Tim argued back seriously. Kissing his lover one last time, he retreated to the bathroom to freshen up, leaving the older man to finish getting ready.

*****NCIS******

Ten minutes later, the three of them were on their way, once again, going somewhere only Tim knew about.

"This Jeep is a real nice rental car, Tim. Must have cost a pretty penny." Jackson pointed out from the backseat as Tim drove them out of the state park.

"It's a Grand Cherokee and it wasn't that expensive to rent. Only have it until we go back to the airport." Tim offered, deliberately leaving them wanting for more. "Whenever that might be."

"Tim." Leroy growled.

The young man smiled. "Sorry, Leroy – not gonna get me to give anything away. Besides, I already let it slip that we're here for two days, so let's just enjoy our day - it is Christmas Eve, after all."

"Christmas at Lake Bastrop?" Jackson asked he noticed the sign for the place as Tim turned in at the Lake's South Shore Park. "And not even five minutes from the State Park we're staying at?"

"Yup. Lake Bastrop is a reservoir. Best hot springs fishing in the country – or so I've heard. Power plant lakes like Bastrop can turn winter fishing into good bass fishing."

"I'm guessing you can even tell us what kind of fish we can expect to find here?" The Senior Gibbs joked.

"It's been said that you can find a variety of fish including bluegill, redear sunfish, blue catfish, largemouth bass, channel catfish, crappie and flathead catfish. The lake is 906 acres in size and 450 feet deep." Tim replied with a straight face."

"Go on." The now smirking middle-aged man requested, knowing his lover wasn't finished by a long shot.

With a smirk of his own, Tim shared what he knew. "The crappie are said to love wax worms, the redear sunfish - frogs and the copper nose- maggots." He couldn't help but shudder at that last piece of information.

"Now, can you tell us what we're doin' today?" Leroy teased. "Except not catching copper-noses."

With a look of relief, Tim smiled as he gave in. "Oh, alright. You've been really good about letting me keep my secrets. Guess I can reward you this time! You and Jack have, for the next 8 hours and another 8 tomorrow if you want, the licenses to fish here and the boat to fish from anywhere on the lake or in the springs you want, though you might want to try the hot water discharge canal, first."

"Tim!" Jackson was not expecting that. "Wait a minute, young man, what are you going to be doing?"

"I'll be on board with you – later. When you come back in for lunch. But, for this morning, I'll be working at getting better at fishing from the shore. Don't get me wrong, I know how to fish already, I just want more practice with different lures and their weights and casting; that kind of stuff, before I actually go after the good catches."He grinned.

"I don't understand."The elderly man admitted.

"I thought it would be nice for you and Leroy to have some fishing time alone together – father and son – on Christmas Day? Isn't that what you told me you'd love to be able to do, Jack? I know this is a day early, but it's still Christmas, right?"

"You remembered that? We had that conversation back in May!" Jackson asked in awe.

"When I was planning the details of this trip – for Leroy."

"You mean to tell me that the original plans didn't include you?"

"We weren't building a relationship then, Jack. The original plans I made, were for three people because I figured Leroy would have someone in mind to go with him, an old friend, maybe, as well as you."

"I see." The elder Gibbs commented.

"You said you were coming out with us after lunch." Leroy looked him directly on, his eyes searching for what Tim wasn't sharing.

"Unless you'd rather spend all day with just your dad. That'd be fine with me. But, yeah, I was planning on going out on the boat with you then." The younger man replied without any sign of disappointment at the idea. He wanted father and son to enjoy this Christmas Eve day together – as much as they could.

"Why would you do that?" Leroy's question went straight to Tim's heart while it obviously irked the older Gibbs, who didn't understand where it was coming from.

"Jethro!"

"You get seasick just looking at boats." Leroy reminded him with concern, ignoring his father's response. "And don't think I didn't notice that extra vitamin you took this morning or that extra piece of luggage you slipped into the jeep. "What's going on?"

"Merry Christmas, gentlemen! Thank you for coming to Lake Bastrop! Your boat is ready for you." The park attendant greeted them , a battery operated lantern lighting the air around them as they stepped from the car at the parking for the boat users in the pre-dawn darkness.

"Oh? Already?" Jackson asked in surprise.

"Yes, sir. It's that one there," The man pointed to the red Nitro 640XLTournament Style Bass Boat, docked nearby. "Fishing gear is already on board. It's got a 16', single console, 50HP with trolling motor and fish finder. If you need a few minutes to look it over and make sure there isn't something else you'd like to take with you, that'd be fine. Boat's yours for the next 8 hours."

"Lake fishing for the day in the middle of winter." Jack marveled. "Whoever would have thought of it?"

"Tim." Leroy smirked.

The young man smiled in return as he turned back to the attendant who looked like he had more to say.

"Mr. McGee, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person. As you requested, the second boat will be ready at eight this morning. The driver of the boat staying close to shore for you will be already on board when you get back here."

"Thank you. And thank you for being willing to have all of this ready for us." Tim offered as he shook the older man's hand.

"No, sir. Thank you! It's a pleasure to see people such as yourselves enjoying Mother Nature here in our great park – especially on a holiday such as this one. Enjoy yourselves!

If you need anything, just call the number on the business card we sent you with your reservation confirmation back in May. In the meantime, I'll be in the little office right there if you need anything before you head out for your fishing."

"We will. Thanks." Tim offered before the man turned and walked away.

"Tim." Leroy turned to his lover.

"Mmm?"

"Talk to me." That concerned tone that always went straight to Tim's heart did so now, too and it had him realizing it wasn't fair to keep things a secret any longer – just as it wasn't something he wanted to risk ruining the trip over. He'd just have to trust Leroy to handle it with his usual calm – and that the older man would wait and play investigator later when they were alone.

With a deep sigh, Tim stepped closer to his lover, for the moment not giving a damn who saw them this close. "I need to be able to do my job better."

"Where the hell'd you get an idea like that?"

"When we have a case onboard a ship or a boat or even a sub." Tim pushed through to his point. "I don't want to have to keep worrying about it anymore. It slows us down and gets in the way of me doing the best job I can do. Thought I'd use this trip to try out some new things that supposedly work without making me sick to my stomach or make me fall asleep like Dramamine does."

"And the extra vitamin?"

"Ginger."

"A natural remedy for seasickness." Jackson piped in quietly as he heard the conversation from just over Tim's shoulder.

"Right."

"And the extra piece of luggage in the car?" Leroy pushed for answers, wanting Tim to have everything out in the open.

"Sea Bands." Tim answered without looking away. "Wrist bands that are supposed to do the same thing. I thought if I tried them out, see if they got in the way of anything I have to do with my hands or possibly get caught on something I'd be able to rule them out as an option."

"There a reason, you couldn't tell me about this before now?" Leroy asked with a touch of disappointment that Tim hadn't talked to him about it.

"Didn't want it to be anything we focused on until absolutely necessary, Leroy." Tim replied quietly. "This trip isn't about my winning the war on my seasickness."

Letting out a sigh, Leroy smiled softly. "Okay." Turning to his father, he asked the older man. "You ready to go check out this boat?"

"Time's a wastin', Jethro." Jackson sniped as he led the way to the boat.

Turning back to his lover, Leroy issued one request. "Keep your phone on."

Tim nodded. "I will. Have fun with your dad."

The wistful tone in his lover's well-wishes tore at Leroy's heart. Since Tim had told him last May about his parents' deaths, he'd realized it was too late for Tim and the senior McGee to mend their fences, so there was no good reason to let this go there now.

"Thanks to you, I will. Can't thank you enough, Tim." His own throat closed with the emotion he couldn't quite express.

"Oh, yes you can – tonight when we get back." Tim smiled slyly; deeply appreciating the real Leroy he was seeing, while not wanting them to get sidetracked.

With a smirk aimed at Tim's thinking, Leroy turned back to his father. "C'mon, Dad. Like you said, "Time's a wastin'."

*****NCIS******

Two hours later found Tim feeling better about his ability as a novice fisherman as he packed up his rented gear and headed for the boat he was going to use to see if the ginger root supplement would work for him. Before he stepped foot on the boat, he took another tablet and washed it down with water. Giving himself a few minutes, he took stock of what little fishing gear he was taking with him. With the tackle box containing his bobbers and weights, a hand-held net and plenty of fishing line - he was ready to go. He wasn't going far from land anyway, so whatever he had would be enough to keep him busy enough that the next two hours would fly by.

As he stepped on board the boat, he noticed the queasy feeling that usually overtook his stomach until he hurled, wasn't there. He didn't feel sick - at all. He wished he could share this moment with Leroy, but he'd savor the victory with him later tonight. For now, he'd spend the next two hours finally being able to be comfortable on a boat. He was going fishing – out on a lake.


	15. Chapter 14

_It's gonna get hot in here!...and...a teeny bit bumpy._

* * *

><p>Two hours later found all three men back at the car, more than ready to enjoy a leisurely lunch together. With pre-packaged hoagies pulled from the cooler along with chilled iced tea to drink, they settled in for a refreshing lunch. The non-stop talk ran from lures and how the bass were fun to watch as they drove schools of shad to the surface and all they'd had to do was hold their spinning rod at ready until bass began to explode on the shad – to catch all of them they could hope to - to successful casting versus not so great casting brought laughter all around and in the warming Texas sun. It was a great time for all three of them. They'd all caught enough fish to be able to consider the morning's fishing a great success and that made for three happy fishermen.<p>

In no hurry to rush back out, with the beautiful weather and relaxing chairs provided by the park, Leroy got comfortable, laid his head back and snoozed as Tim quietly laughed, only to nearly choke on his laughter when he felt a firm swipe of a hand across the back of his head.

"Ow?" Tim sputtered as he looked at Jackson in shock.

"Not nice, Tim, not nice." The older man admonished with a twinkle in his eye. Gibbs Senior promptly sat back in his own chair, laid his own head back and closed his eyes, leaving no doubt that he, too was taking a mid-day snooze.

Nearly busting at the seams with laughter, Tim cleaned up from their lunch and stowed the cooler between the two lounge chairs so that if either of them got hungry or thirsty, they wouldn't have to go anywhere to get what they needed. Whispering in Leroy's ear, Tim told him where he'd be – and headed off for some more fishing.

Nearly two hours later, Tim grinned as the Gibbs men finally caught up with him, ready to go back out on the boat. Glaring at him, Leroy silently dared him to tease them about the rest period but Tim pulled a page out of Tony's playbook, pantomiming that he was zipping his lips and flinging his hand out to the lake in a wide gesture of throwing away the key.

Shaking his head, Leroy had to grin at his lover's antics as Tim stowed his gear on board the boat and sat down, waiting for the more experienced of the group to do what needed to be done to get them going. The older man couldn't help but marvel at the difference in the Tim he was seeing now and the more closed up, quieter model he saw at work every day.

He loved the more relaxed Tim and seeing him enjoy himself kept the smile on Leroy's own face. The wide strips of blue wrapped around each of Tim's wrist drew his attention back to what it was the younger man was trying to achieve while trying to enjoy this trip with him. This was big and it was important – for Tim to put this much effort, thought and research into trying to fix his seasickness problem- something big must be going on with him. So, what was it?

Tim watched Leroy as the older man seemed to withdraw behind the thinking going on in his head. The man's smile had turned into a frown and his eyes had clouded over, as if whatever he was thinking about had him not very happy. With a sigh, the young man realized where Leroy's eyes had gone to when they'd clouded over.

He'd slipped the Sea Bands on his wrists before stepping foot on board the boat earlier and so far, they seemed to be working fine. Obviously, Leroy was figuring out there was more to the story; enough for Tim to have brought them along and made them part of the trip. Unfortunately, that conversation would be coming sooner than Tim had wanted; but it would not happen today. Tonight maybe – but not today. Today, was about fishing – for all of them.

*****NCIS******

Four hours later, all three were soaked to the bone, tired and exhilarated from the rush of catching more fish than they could count and with the camaraderie born of deep relationships, some as old as they were themselves while others were still cementing. After turning in their gear and returning the boat keys to the park attendant, Tim handed the rental car's keys to Leroy, knowing the man was chomping at the bit to drive, even if it was just a few miles down the road.

Almost as soon as they'd reached the cabin, Tim suggested Jack get first dibs on the shower while he and Leroy unloaded the car. Smiling with gratitude, an exhausted but very happy Jackson made his way inside, while the younger two men remained in the car, too tired to be in a hurry to move.

Leroy could hardly wrap his head around the day he'd just been able to share not only with his father, but also with the man he'd come to love and cherish; together, in one trip, with nothing but peace, harmony and happiness. It had been one of the best Christmas gifts he'd ever been given; the best since losing Shannon and Kelly. How could one express appreciation for that? Nothing came close to showing how much this meant to him.

"You okay?" Tim's concerned question, asked in quiet tones, pulled him from his musings.

"Yeah. You?" Leroy asked in return.

"Best day, I've ever had on water, that's for sure." Tim joked quietly, his true emotions ringing clear in his tone and shining in his eyes. This day had meant more to him than anything; other than his relationship with Leroy. Because of their relationship, Tim felt like he was on top of the world right now and the only thing that would be better than how he felt right now would be… God, he couldn't wait until they were both showered and ready for bed!

Leroy smiled at what he saw in the younger man's eyes. "Me, too, Tim. Me too." He replied huskily as he leaned over for him, knowing his lover would meet him half-way.

Their lips met gently for only a second before the heat they were already both feeling rose up in spades, fueling both the ferocity of that kiss and the arms that reached for each other almost in tandem, pulling each other close; in turn opening the gates for their desire for each other, so wide, nothing could stop it.

Pulling back with the need to breathe, Tim's breath came in ragged gasps while his hands still grasped Leroy's shirt. "We….really…need…clean….out… car… won't … get….stinky…"

Leroy smirked as he dis-engaged himself from his lover with a formidable dose of self-control. "Okay, but only because Dad isn't asleep yet."

Getting out of the car, he headed to the back of it and began unloading the cooler while Tim joined him there and grabbed the rest of the things. Together, they made quick work of the necessary clean-up. Once that was done, Leroy made a quick check on Jackson and found that the older man was already beginning to saw logs, apparently saving the effort of a shower for the morning.

With a quiet huff of laughter, he headed for the bedroom he and Tim were sharing, only to find the younger man already on his way to the shower. Stopping him in mid-stride, Leroy kissed him as he sensually stroked his face. "Join you in a minute." He promised huskily as he stepped back, watching with a smile as Tim's eyes grew dark with hunger while he remained still, suddenly unable to move.

It took all of Leroy's self-control to hold back from ravishing Tim at that moment. He didn't think he'd ever seen anything so beautiful as the sight of his lover so hungry for him, his green eyes remained glued to his and his arms reached to bring him back for more.

Forgetting all thoughts of grabbing a change of clothes, Leroy dove back in to reclaim those lips that called to him, as those arms reached for him snaked around his waist, pulling him closer and the dance of their tongues began in earnest. When the heat of the moment had their bodies colliding and both their swelling, thickening rods felt the jolt of electricity – it broke their kiss apart in a hail of harsh breathing as their foreheads rested against each other.

"Shower." Leroy breathed out raggedly.

Almost on autopilot, Tim's legs cooperated and before he knew it, they were face to face in the bathroom, their eyes locked on each other in a moment of stillness, as if neither knew what to do next. Leroy took the reins, his voice thick with emotion. "Today meant a lot to me, Tim."

All Tim could do was nod slightly in understanding. He'd known that it would; hadn't doubted it for a minute. Still, it was nice that Gibbs had come to a place in his life where he could admit things like this to him.

"Lemme show you how much."

The wave of lust that roared through Tim's veins at those words of invitation nearly knocked the wind out of him as he reached for his lover, suddenly needing to touch him, to be one with him.

Leroy stepped into Tim's space, caressed the side of his face and nibbled on his ear lobe momentarily before pulling back and moving his hands toward the bottom of Tim's shirt. Without words, the older man undressed his lover, one piece of clothing at a time, no words or extra touches were given as he let the sexual tension build. Finally, in almost no time, Tim stood before his lover in all his naked glory and it was all Leroy could do not to take him right then and there.

Drawing in his breath sharply, Leroy smiled even as he turned away, turned on the shower and drew back the curtain. Turning back to the still silent yet completely aroused younger man, he ghosted his hands in a path that blazed fire across the young man's skin starting from his cheek on down to his already swollen and throbbing cock. As he gently caressed the tip of Tim's cock with his thumb, Tim finally let go a moan as his knees seemed to weaken.

"Get in." Leroy groaned as he kissed the side of his mouth before pulling back to quickly divest himself of his clothes.

As Tim got in the shower and let the hot water drench not only his hair, but the rest of his body as well, he felt that euphoria that came from feeling like he was climbing higher than the highest point of ecstasy he could experience. He didn't think it could get much better than this.

Suddenly, two strong hands began to massage Tim's shoulders from behind as a seductive mouth found the juncture of his throat where it met his shoulder and began nibbling him there as the hot shower added to the sensual feel of it all.

"Mmmmm." Tim moaned as he let his head fall to his chest, his heart pounding with the realization that life was indeed about to get much better.

"Feel good?" Leroy asked huskily as he moved his hands around to Tim's nipples and began teasing them.

"Oh, yeah.' Tim groaned as he raised his head up and pushed his nipples further into his lover's hands.

"How 'bout this?" Leroy asked as he turned Tim around and lowered his head to take one of Tim's nipples in his mouth and suckle it, while his hands blazed heated trails across Tim's navel and waist.

"Feels so good." Tim murmured throatily as he squirmed further into the other man's touch.

Without further words, Leroy skimmed his hands further down as his mouth followed in his hands wake, leaving nibbles and kisses everywhere they went, all meeting on the map of the younger man's already weeping cock as Leroy lowered himself to his knees, and locked gazes with him.

"Leroy!" Tim moaned as his lover's hands cupped him gently and then stroked him, elongated strokes that seemed to go on endlessly before a whisper of warm air was blown across his heated tip; wringing forth a guttural moan of pleasure from the young man. "Mmm!"

Still not breaking the moment with words, Leroy took him in his mouth, his warm cavern swallowing him up completely as the still hot shower cascaded down on both of them.

"OH!" Tim's knees turned to jello and only the towel bar kept him from falling as the roaring filled his ears and his body tightened for flight – already keyed up ' Ooh, don't stop." He moaned as he barely stopped himself from thrusting further into his lover's mouth.

Moving his hands around to Tim's luscious bottom, Leroy pulled him closer, taking in even more of him, even stopping just long enough to gently suck on the young man's sac, his lover's sharply indrawn breath, going straight to his own now hardened and weeping cock.

Needing to let Tim fly – let him soar with absolute ecstasy that he deserved, Leroy suckled the younger man's cock with the hunger of a starving man, his lover's vocal responses of absolute pleasure pushing him even closer to going over the edge, himself.

"Oh, God! Leroy!" Tim moaned; his eyes closed in complete surrender, he couldn't stop himself from pushing into his lover's mouth for more as the stars swam before his eyes. "OOH, So close, so... OH! NNGGHHHH!"

Holding him through the aftershocks of Tim's powerful orgasm, Leroy felt painfully on the edge, having been close but not close enough to fly. Still, he focused on the younger man, letting the water help clean him while slowly standing up, keeping his arms supportive around his still trembling lover. Wrapping him in his arms, he pulled him in tight, holding him, letting the emotions of the moment speak for themselves as he kissed Tim's ear and whispered his thanks for all the young man had done for him.

*****NCIS*****

Countless mind blowing minutes later, it was Leroy's turn to be caught in the wave of pleasure so deep, he thought he'd drown, as Tim lavished him with a sensual washing, one breathtakingly fiery moment at a time, as lips and tongue, alongside hands, blazed trails both gentle and hot, over every square inch of the older man's body.

When Tim boldly turned the older man around and took his ministrations to his lover's behind, stroking him with feather-lite touches and lightly blowing across his entrance, Leroy's breath hitched and his knees nearly gave out. "Tim!" He groaned.

Standing back up, Tim stepped closer to him, his voice thick with emotion and desire speaking into his ear. "Let me make love to you, Leroy."

The timbre of his lover's voice, hit the older man in the heart s he turned and faced Tim, cupping his face in his hands. "You already are."

"Completely." Tim pushed gently, his heart in his expression as his hands went back to sweeping paths of molten lava across the older man's body. Wrapping his hands around Leroy's cock, they both cradled and gently tugged on it, sweeping across its tip before stopping to hold it in their gentle grasp, as their eyes remained locked together, each trying to both pour their hearts into their eyes as well as read the other's emotions, too deep to put into words.

Gibbs' eyes closed, his thoughts swirling wildly. _He'd never let anyone….even his first and only other male lover hadn't… was he ready to go there? Did he want to risk ruining this moment; what he'd been trying to shower Tim with all his attentions by traveling that road right now?_

Sensing his lover's mixed reaction to his request, Tim dropped to his knees under the shower and took the older man's weeping, ready cock into his own mouth, milking it for all that he could, driving all thoughts of his request from both their minds. With only his desire to set Leroy free from any further thoughts, he took things a little bolder, tightening his mouth around his lover's muscle, tighter than before and suckled harder and faster, the resulting moans of pleasure, making his heart soar and turning the heat up on his own barely holding on need to bury himself into his lover.

Suddenly, he was pulled away,raised back up by strong hands, not so gently turned and pushed to the shower stall wall, as hot and desperate hands stroked him, up and down his back and across his behind as his lover's cock already warmed his hole, "Need to feel you."

The guttural groan went straight to Tim's cock and he nearly exploded then; only the want; the need to take his lover with him, forestalled him even as his own legs opened of their own willingness, the moan of anticipation leaving his lips before he could stop it. He didn't care, he only cared to be claimed, filled, completed by his lover and now. "Hurry!" He begged as he pushed back toward the older man, 'cum with me."

"Tim!" Leroy groaned as he impaled his lover, using only the now cooling shower water to lubricate him.

"OH, God! Yes! "Tim moaned as he pushed back, needing more, wanting more. Turning his body, he bent himself over, using the water faucets to hold onto as he offered his lover more of an open channel to explore. "Deeper, please!"

"So, good, Tim. So tight and good." Leroy groaned with pleasure as he grasped Tim's hips and held them tight, driving himself deeper into his lover's tight channel; as far as he could reach, his own balls tightening as his own monster release rose up within him. "Cum Tim," Leroy growled as he pounded into his willing lover, each drive letting his own balls contact with Tim's bottom, adding such a delicious sensation, it almost overloaded his senses. "Cum with me."

"Don't stop! Oh, God, don't stop!" Tim moaned as he rode the wave crashing through him, his hands tightening on the faucets as his body's tension tightened to its limits, his rear end pushing back for more. "Cuming, Leroy! Oh, God! Cuming! Ngghhhh!" Tim's shout seemed to strike a bolt of lightning to the older man's already tattered hold on that edge taking him over as well.

Leroy heard his own voice shout out his uncontainable pleasure; a height of which, he'd rarely felt before, "Oh, God, Tim!" while the world around him exploded into a multitude of colors before everything went white and he felt himself fold over onto his lover.

*****NCIS*****

Countless minutes later, Tim regained the ability to breathe calmly and gently extricated himself from his lover's now flaccid cock, turning around to help him stand upright and quickly wash off in the now freezing cold shower. Somehow, they helped each other out of the tub and into dry towels and quickly made it to the bedroom, nearly diving under the covers of the large bed to help each other warm up.

Realizing his nearly boneless lover was about done in for the night, Tim toweled him dry as best he could and slipped in behind him, letting Leroy's head and chest rest on his own, the older man's heartbeat bringing joy to Tim's soul. This was ecstasy. Right here, right now. _This_ moment was what mattered most to him and _this_ moment was one that would stay with him forever. Drawing the blanket up around both of them, Tim sighed contentedly and closed his eyes, quite happily wrapping his arms around his lover's middle and drifting off to sleep.

*****NCIS*****

Leroy stirred in Tim's arms, coming fully awake when his mind failed to remind him completely how he'd come to be the one being held. The feel of his lover's heartbeat and the soft sound of the young man's even breathing while he slept, wrapped Leroy's heart in comfort; a blanket so warm he felt not only safe, but cherished and content. His eyes fluttered closed and for once he allowed himself to just be still and relax, in no hurry to get up and go anywhere. _This_ was where he wanted to be, wrapped in Tim's arms. It wasn't long before he drifted back to sleep.

The next time he woke up, Leroy felt even more refreshed. He was surprised to hear Tim's steady, even breathing giving testament to the fact that the young man was still asleep.

Once again, he couldn't help but think on his experiences in the last few days; beginning, to no surprise, with his lover's gift wrapped presents to him back at home.

With a smile plastered on his face, his memory treated him to a full-blown movie style replay of all of those golden moments, every single one of them now stored in his locked treasury that he'd always be able to call back to mind. They were that special to him, just as his memories of Shannon had been for all those years; still were.

As his memories played on and the events of last night's shower came back to him, he couldn't help but squirm a little. As usual Tim had done so much for him, with little thought for himself and with no second thought. The man was as selfless as they came and that part of his lover's innate character was one of the reasons why Leroy loved him so.

_Love._ _He had no trouble admitting to his father or even to himself that he loved Tim, but had he ever told Tim he felt that way? He knew he hadn't but the question was why not?_

"You okay?" Tim's quietly voiced question reached through his thoughts and returned him to the present abruptly as the young man gently began parading his fingers through the hair over Leroy's ear.

With a raggedly breathed out sigh, the older man reluctantly moved just far enough out of Tim's arms that he could turn and look him directly on. "Thanks to you, I am."

"You'd do the same for me." Tim's faith in him was without question and instant. "Just like I know you'd tell me if there was something you didn't want from me."

Tracing his finger down' the side of his lover's face, Leroy shook his head in gentle denial. "Not that I didn't want it, Tim."

"It's been too long for you and you're not sure you're comfortable with it, then." The younger man reasoned calmly, clearly letting his lover know he completely understood why it was he hadn't let Tim take him last night the way he'd wanted to. "It's okay not to want something. You have to know that I can handle that." Tim reasoned warmly as his eyes misted over. He reached up and once again ran his fingers through his lover's gorgeous silver locks that the older man had grown out an inch longer than he usually kept it, just for Tim. With his heart in his eyes, the younger man opened up the window to his soul a little bit more; "As long as if the time ever comes that it's me you don't want any more, you'll tell me straight."

Capturing Tim's hand in his own, he stilled his lover's fingers and hold them to his chest, looking deeply into his eyes, "That will never happen, Tim."

"Never say never." Tim's tone was a shade too serious for Leroy's liking and it brought back to his mind, the realization that there was more going on with Tim than the young man had let on; something to do with his fight to win the battle over his seasickness.

"This have something to do with whatever it is you haven't told me, yet?" Leroy questioned quietly, not letting go of Tim's hand. Now that the conversation had turned, he'd have to save the fact that he'd never been breached - for a heart to heart at another time. Now, it was time to be there for Tim; to get him to open up about whatever this was that he was carrying around with him.

Sighing deeply, Tim nodded as he respected his lover enough not to look away while he answered him. "Yeah."

"Talk to me, Tim." Leroy coaxed. "Not like you to keep it from me, so it must be serious. What could be so serious about you winning the sea sickness war that you're fighting with yourself to tell me?"

"I need to ask you something before I answer you." Tim admitted; his tone so quiet it was almost a strain to hear him.

"Anything,"

"Are we forever? What we have now? Is this the forever you want?"

"Where's this going, Tim?" Leroy sat up, bringing the young man up with him, so they both had to settle more comfortably against the headboard side by side, reaching out for each other once they'd stilled again.

"I just really need to know the answer."

"Hell, yeah, it's forever!" Leroy growled. "Not learning to share my life with you just to let you leave me."

"Or for you to decide you don't want this anymore?" Tim pushed seriously, although without accusation.

"Told ya that's not gonna happen. Talk to me, Tim. What's goin' on?"

Sighing deeply, the younger man slid from his lover's hold, from the bed and slid his boxers on in silence before restlessly pacing.

Seriously worried now, Leroy also left the bed and slipped his clothes on, joining Tim where he was pacing, now halfway to the bedroom door. With a hand on his shoulder, he stopped the younger man's pacing. "Talk to me, damn it!"

Tim swallowed hard and grabbed Leroy's hands just a little tighter as he looked him straight on and told him what he knew the older man was gonna hate to hear.

"If this is our forever – and we both want it – and I sure as hell do – then we need to make some changes."


	16. Chapter 15

The astounded look on his lover's face wasn't funny as much as it was priceless. But Tim knew now was not the time for laughter because this was serious and he needed Leroy to know he was saying what needed to be said, from the bottom of his heart.

"At work." Tim clarified. "You've been saying for years now, that you're not going to be Team Leader forever and we both know that … changes are often made so fast, you can hardly catch your breath as they're thrown at you."

Leroy remained silent, his hands still holding Tim's, his fingers flexing in spasms as the emotions began running amuck through his mind. He desperately needed Tim to get to the bottom line of where he was going – the suspense was literally killing him, twisting his heart into little pieces. Was Tim trying to say goodbye for the sake of his job? NO! He wouldn't let that happen! He hadn't fallen in love with him, just to lose him over their jobs!

Almost as if he were reading the turmoil in his lover's heart, Tim reached out and trailed a soothing hand through the older man's hair, carding it affectionately. "We can't have this and not make changes at work. We both know that. It wouldn't be fair to the team or to ourselves. I'd just rather those changes that need to be made be ones we control, rather than being controlled by the rules and regs because we pushed the envelope on it."

"Tim…"

"Leroy, I'm asking Vance for the next 'Agent Afloat' position that comes up." The young man's eyes begged his lover to understand.

The Team Leader struggled to breathe for a minute as his heart squeezed almost painfully.

"It's just for six months, right?" Tim asked hopefully. "We'll stay in touch, have clandestine late night talks over secure channels – I'll set it up, myself."

"Tim." Leroy's voice said it all. He felt so shocked he didn't know what else to say.

"I _have_ to do this. We both _know_ that. My career will go nowhere if I don't follow protocol. Vance said it was part of the reason he assigned Tony to those six months. He got by with four. Maybe I can, too."

"This really what you want?" Leroy asked.

"No! It's not! It's tearing my heart out, the thought of having to do this! You have to know that! But if I'm going to be the best agent I can be now that you're not going to be my Team Leader any longer, I _have_ to do this!" Tim heatedly answered him, angry that Leroy would think he'd want to leave him.

"Why the rush to change things, Tim?" Leroy asked quietly, the uncertainty he felt at Tim's decision clear in his tone.

Squeezing his lover's hands in his own, Tim lifted them to his lips and kissed the older man's fingers before setting them back down at his sides. Lifting his eyes to the older man's bottomless oceans of blue that right now looked like his heart had been ripped out, Tim answered him straight from his own heart, as he blinked to clear the sudden moisture from his eyes.

"Because I love you and I want us to be forever."

*****NCIS*****

Blinking his eyes to send the traitorous tears away, Jackson Gibbs stepped away from the bedroom door a few steps, needing to get himself ready, along with the first round of coffees for them all. The only problem was he wasn't able to move very far away, almost as if he knew they both needed some help through this serious roadblock.

He was reluctant to intrude on the conversation, he hadn't been able to help but overhear when Tim's raised voice had carried beyond the bedroom door as the elder man had been coming back from the bathroom.

More concerned than curious, Jackson remained by the door and heard enough to know without a shadow of a doubt, that both men were in this relationship for keeps, even if they were both still trying to find their feet. It did his heart good to know that, but it also hurt him to hear the sacrifices they were going to be making in the name of that love. Love, he knew his son hadn't yet admitted to – to his lover; but wholeheartedly deserved nonetheless.

Putting his own emotions back under wraps, Jackson remained at their bedroom door, ready to knock on it and remind them of the time, when it was opened from the inside, his son, stepping out and going around him to the bathroom, his face unreadable even as the anger nearly rolled off of him.

It was certainly understandable, yet it was easy to see Tim's point, too. But, Jackson knew that until he was asked, he couldn't speak of any of it, no matter if he thought he could help or not. He'd have to bide his time and wait. And while he waited, he'd pray that these two men who loved each other deeply, wouldn't make the mistake of letting this tear them apart.

Still standing in the hallway, his thoughts running amuck, Jackson wasn't even aware Tim had come out to the hallway fully dressed, found him standing there and was now looking at him with concern of his own. "Jack?"

"Morning, Tim." The older man greeted quietly. "Everything alright?"

Tim smiled softly, his eyes no longer bright and happy, sadness having taken up residence in their place. "Yeah."

"Anything I can do?" Jackson asked.

"No. This is my mess. I need to fix it." Tim answered quietly. "Thank you, though. I'm going to go stretch my legs and get some air."

Watching the young man walk out the door, Jackson sighed in sadness. Surely these two would work through this. After all, they had the rest of the trip to enjoy together and Tim had gone through so much thought and trouble and money to pull this together for Leroy – because he cared so much about him - he wanted him to have the time of his life and be able to relax and enjoy himself. The young man loved him deeply. Surely, Leroy would keep his eye on that?

"Dad?" Leroy's quiet voice came from behind him as the younger man came back down the hall from the bathroom.

"Good morning, Son." Jackson turned to look his son straight on, his concern showing in every inch of his aged face.

"Something wrong?" The younger man worried.

"That young man adores you, Jethro."

"I know, Dad. You and I talked about this yesterday, remember?"

"Oh, yes, _I_ remember."

"Okay, so why bring it up again?"

"Do you really believe for one moment that he made that decision lightly? Or without tearing his own heart out at the very thought of being away from you for that long?"

"You were listening." Leroy stated as he walked around his father and back into the bed room put on his socks and shoes.

"Didn't have to. Tim's voice carries quite well when he's upset." His father reminded him from the doorway.

"It's not that simple, Dad." His son argued as he slid his socks on, stuffed his feet in his shoes and stood back up, heading back to the doorway.

"Oh, yes it is! He wants a life with you – he just needs to firm up his career first before you're forced to retire. So what if he doesn't want to risk any problems at work by staying under you now! He's in love with you, damn it! You gonna make him choose?" Jackson demanded, the vehemence in his tone stopping his son in his tracks.

The look on his son's face reminded Jackson of that one moment he'd ever looked this vulnerable before; that moment back in Stillwater when they'd first talked about the sixteen plus year rift between them that they were finally beginning to heal.

Jackson would never forget that look. With as heart-honest an expression as he'd ever seen in his son's eyes, the younger Gibbs had asked his father. _'Whattaya see now?'_

Vulnerability had been the word on the tip of Jackson's tongue then and it was there again, now as he saw that same pained look on his son's face, apparently thinking on his father's question.

"Wouldn't do that to him." Jethro's answer was firm yet without hesitation, the bone deep honesty laying it all out in the open. He wouldn't do that. He'd let Tim make his own choice. He had to. What's more, he had to respect the hell out of him for even making it.

"That why he needed to go get some air? Because you told him you support his decision and how hard it had to be for him to make? How hard it'll be for him to be apart from the person he loves for those four or six months?" Jackson pushed, hoping it would stir his son into action before any more time was wasted between these two.

"Just caught me by surprise, Dad. We'll work it out."

"Well, considering he's out there without you, I'm guessing you'd better get to working on it pretty damn quick, wouldn't you say?"

With a smirk, Gibbs disappeared out the door.

*****NCIS*****

Stepping outside the cabin door, Leroy's eyes needed a minute to adjust to the sun, but then immediately searched for his lover, quickly finding him standing down at the dock, staring out at the water.

A feeling of peace filled him at the sight of the younger man, even from a distance. He had faith in Tim's ability to understand how hard it was for him to open up, to admit how he felt; though he'd been getting better at it since first letting Tim in back in August.

_Had it only been since then that they'd been building this relationship?_ It felt like forever; it was so real, tangible and getting more comfortable every day. Leroy realized he could no longer picture his life without this man. More importantly, he refused to let that happen or do anything that could make the situation come to that.

With a sigh, he walked towards him, getting only halfway before his lover turned to look at him, as if he'd sensed him coming. Turning away from the water, the younger man set the direction for the walk he obviously knew they needed to take, being extra cautious to avoid any poison ivy. Typical of how Tim operated, he remained silent, letting Leroy take the reins of this all-important conversation, their steps in tandem, inadvertently leading them to a lush, secluded wooded area of the park.

Tim stopped walking, leaning back against the trunk of a large tree, his hands in his pockets as he watched Leroy beneath the lashes of his now hooded eyes. It wasn't that he didn't have faith in his lover, but instead that he knew the older man needed the space to do this in his own time; his own way. It was enough that he was out here, obviously willing to talk through this already, instead of letting it sit unresolved between them while they traveled to their next destination.

With a twitch of his eyebrow, and a half nod, Leroy looked Tim straight on, taking the young man's hand in his own. "I understand what you're doing and why."

Tim heard the apology in his lover's tone and it warmed him; resurrected his belief that this wouldn't tear them apart. He breathed a sigh of relief even as Leroy continued to speak to him.

"I'm not used to anyone thinking so clearly about a future with me; rearranging their life like you're planning, to be able to stay with me."

Tim smiled tenderly. "I'd go to the moon and back for you if need be, Leroy. I just wish we weren't going to be apart for a whole six months like this."

"I love you, Tim and yes, to me this..." He pointed from himself to Tim and then back again for emphasis, "is forever", so this change - the months you'll be taking care of what you need to do to help us become permanent– will be okay."

Now it was Tim's turn to accidentally show the vulnerability he was feeling. The moment of doubt, the uncertainty he'd forced himself to sit on and keep buried all the time he'd been thinking about this, was finally out in the open and it was clear that he was more than a little uneasy about things.

His next question nearly broke Leroy's heart as it showed him the younger man's heart still needed extra support. "What makes you so sure that I'm the one for you; that we're forever or that these next few months will be okay?"

"Lotta questions, Tim." Leroy jibed with a small smirk as he stepped up closer to him, trailing their joined fingers down the younger man's jawline tenderly. "First of all, because usually by now they're running for the hills or their lawyer while picturing how big their alimony check's gonna be"

Tim smiled a little, but his eyes remained filled with that stubborn uncertainty.

"You taking the time and putting a lot of effort into tackling your seasickness so that you can go Afloat and come back to D.C., all so that neither of our careers will be impacted - think about that, Tim! It doesn't get any more real than that!"

Leroy's earnest declaration went straight to Tim's heart.

"It's HUGE, That's trust, commitment and love. You've already shown me that, what it is to feel whole again, Tim. I haven't felt this way since Shannon."

Tim's eyes misted over as he reached for his lover's hands, too touched to speak. He could not ever have imagined the older man being so vocal about how he felt or reaching down so deep to expose himself to the younger man like this. It swelled Tim's heart and confirmed in his soul that no one and nothing would ever come between them – he would safe guard this man's heart no matter what it took.

Leaning his forehead against Tim's, Leroy pushed his emotional limit to make him understand. "I won't let anything tear us apart, not even our jobs, so if going 'afloating' is what it takes, then we'll handle it, together, because we love each other."

The younger man nodded, his head barely moving where Leroy's forehead was connecting to him and too speechless to utter a sound, their hands now wrapped around each other's arms as if to anchor the other more deeply.

For countless silent moments, they stood, touching each other in every way possible without the intimacy of sex, as they relished that depth while drawing inner strength from it.

Almost as if they'd spoken to each other, they pulled away from each other just enough to smile softly and begin to walk further into the woods, enjoying the time together as their steps became synchronized. They had a vacation to enjoy – a life to live, together, beginning with right now, their first Christmas Day together.

*****NCIS*****

Christmas Day was spent with lots of quiet moments where conversation wasn't intruding, enjoying each other's company and plenty of unspoken emotion shining through their eyes for the other to see and grasp, The hours slipped away as Jackson joined them for the fishing, though this time at the State park's lake and on the shore with great result.

Together, the three men shared the chore of cleaning and cooking their catch for lunch and later on, dinner, though the elderly man was adamant about leaving them alone for the most part, knowing they needed the time together. At the end of the evening, still relaxed yet keyed up for the trip ahead, Leroy and Tim were alone in their room when they realized they still had the rest of the evening to themselves. Jackson had taken himself off to his own room over an hour ago, claiming the need for an earlier night than they would need. Neither Tim nor Leroy had missed the twinkle in the elderly man's eyes.

Still too keyed up to even consider going to bed Tim took himself over to the window, staring out at the moonlit night. His thoughts were all over the place, from the blissful memories of the heaven he and Leroy had created together in the last few days – to the upcoming conversation he'd have to have with Vance and how the team would take the news, not just of Tim's leaving the team, but of his ultimate reason for that change.

"Okay?" Leroy's tender voice in his ear, brought Tim back to the present and he let himself lean back against the man he loved with all his heart and soul, as his lover's arms wrapped around him, holding him. Laying his head back against the older man's neck, Tim snuggled closer to him, whispering his affirmative answer, but nothing more.

These quiet moments wrapped in each other's arms were what Tim loved most and he held on to each of these moments with all that he had within him. They kept things grounded – kept their relationship from ever coming close to becoming just about sex- though Tim wasn't exactly worried about that after Leroy had been patient and loving without anything overtly sexual from Tim until this past Friday night.

Leroy held Tim as tightly as he knew his lover enjoyed being held, as he basked in the younger man's absolute trust in him and love for him. He thoroughly enjoyed these quiet times of just holding each other; relished the times Tim would snuggle against him like this, completely at ease and obviously safe and content with him. _This_ is what made this real for him; reaffirmed for him that Tim was beginning to feel completely secure in their relationship; his rare moments of admitted uncertainty becoming even fewer by the day.

He knew Tim had a lot on his mind, but he was confident that more of it was pleasant memories of their last few days together than anything worrisome and for that reason, Leroy left the peaceful, intimate silence in place, choosing instead to nuzzle Tim's ear and tenderly kiss it as he did nothing else to disturb this moment.

*****NCIS*****

By 6:30 the next morning, with Leroy doing the driving for the nearly twenty-five miles, the three of them were back at Austin's airport and boarding their plane for an hour-long flight bound for Houston. Taking their seats, they wasted no time in laying their heads back and using the time to rest.

Landing in Houston, they took their time walking to their next gate, with nearly an hour layover awaiting their next flight. Leisurely, they strolled, the quietness still wrapped around them, as if their heart-wrenching moments from yesterday morning were still on their shoulders. Even Jackson seemed content to let the mood remain undisturbed; merely casting his eyes on both of them periodically to make sure they were doing alright.

By nine in the morning, the three of them were ten minutes into their hour and eleven minute flight to New Orleans, Louisiana and the next stop in Tim's amazing vacation organized just for them. Almost as if in silent agreement, they each simply laid their heads back and dozed a little more for the short trip

When their plane landed in Louisiana at ten in the morning, the three of them were ready to go, now feeling rested. As soon as they collected their luggage, Tim led them to the nearest exit, his eyes searching for something. Lighting upon a commercial looking van with signs on it for a Bobby Lynn's Marina, Tim smiled and seemed to relax a little. "Here's our ride, guys."

"More fishing, Tim?" Jackson joked with a smirk.

"Yeah, but this time they'll be doing all the heavy work." Tim gave back as he exchanged a long, meaningful look with Leroy. Tearing his eyes away, he introduced himself to the driver before getting into the back. "We just first have to relax for the hour long drive to get there. Oh, and wait until tomorrow for the Charter to take us out before first light."

"Tomorrow, Tim?" Jackson asked, a bit surprised.

"I'm sorry. I know I should have planned it better , but…"

"Don't worry, about it, Tim, we'll get there and it'll be nice to have the day to relax." Leroy reassured him. "Fishing's better at first light, anyway, right, Dad?"

"Well, you got me there, Son." Jackson admitted. "Fishing is definitely better at first light."

"Thanks. Got the things we'll need already added from a local delivery service so we'll have plenty to cook with and groceries." Tim told them. "I had almost forgotten about that."

"Alright, gentlemen, And we're off!" Their perky driver shouted as he started the van and pulled away from the curb.

*****NCIS*****

_"Wake up each morning to the sites of migrating birds & the serenity of water flowing along Bayou Lafourche as fishing boats ready to leave for a day of excitement._

_Enjoy the view of spectacular sunrises as you wake to life on the Gulf of Mexico and the wonderful wetlands of South Louisiana. Savor the setting sun as it explodes into a kaleidoscope of a thousand shades of reds & oranges as it melts into the marsh grasses of the Barataria Estuary._

_As it disappears, you recall special moments created that day while the anticipation of what lies ahead for tomorrow hardly lets you get to sleep._

_Captain Bobby Lynn Gros invites you to come and experience the finest inshore and coastal fishing in South Louisiana. Bobby is a member of the Louisiana Charter Boat Association and holds a Masters Captain license. A past Admiral of the Golden Meadow International Tarpon Rodeo, Bobby's been fishing these waters his entire life._

_Bobby also serves as an advisor to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on the Saltwater Task Force. His knowledge of the coastal marsh area is something that enables him to target fish on a year round basis._

_Bobby has been operating the Marina with his wife, Lynn, and son Jory since 1987. They started with a small convenience store & quickly realized the importance of catering to recreational fisherman and their needs for information, supplies and first class facilities to accommodate them. This desire led to the creation of 2 marinas in Leeville to serve both inshore & offshore fisherman._

_The son of an extremely successful football coach, he's learned the importance of scouting and being prepared for the unexpected. If you love to fish, you know the importance of having a great game plan. Bobby is a member of Community Bible Church and was a drummer on the worship team for 10 years_"

As the van driver turned tour guide finished his spiel about the day's planned activities, Tim had to laugh. When both Gibbs men looked at him in confusion, he laughed even harder. "He's memorized the brochure and the website!"'

Chuckling, Leroy and Jackson cast looks at the driver who was looking sheepish. "Yup, I guess I have. Makes for good business, though."

"I'll bet." Tim laughed.

"Wait, there's more!" The funny man encouraged.

"Let's hear it." Jackson voted.

_"Nestled on the banks of Bayou Lafourche, just south of New Orleans, in the center of the famous Barataria National Estuary: the breeding grounds for most of the Gulf Of Mexico. Waters in this area are teeming with abundant inshore species such as Speckled Trout, Redfish, Flounder, Drum, Shrimp and so many more._

_Our close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico can have you fishing offshore for Tuna, Snapper, Grouper, Amberjack and much more in only minutes. It's not uncommon to catch several different types of fish in the same day. We specialize in inshore fishing but can help you with booking an offshore trip also._

_Our fish limits are very liberal. Each fisherman is allowed to catch 25 trout, 5 redfish and more of other species. We are not claiming to be able to do that on a consistent basis, but it does happen We fish in a variety of ways. Casting and retrieving artificial lures with or without a cork. We also fish with Carolina rigs & corks with live and fresh bait In the open bays, we will anchor on submerged reefs and old oil field platforms or troll around them till we find the fish."_

"Sounds like a great fishing trip." Leroy offered his opinion, even as he smiled at the public relations rhetoric they were being given about the Charter Company.

"It's gonna have to be – to make up for the bunk beds we'll be sleeping in for the next two nights." Tim admitted sheepishly.


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N: **_An apology - and another "Thank You" to Gottahavemyncis -_

_"The apology - for not stressing how **hard** she worked on this with me - back when it was first written. Could **not** have done it without her._  
><em>And the "Thank You" for all the timework you put into helping this come out right, back then._  
><em>Hands down - the most awesome BETA!<em>

_And now..._

_bring a fan...and maybe a tissue, too._

* * *

><p>"I'm glad we get to slow down for a while." Jackson huffed as he sat on one of the kitchen chairs as soon as they got inside the cabin Tim had rented for their stay. "Talking about slowing down, did you say the bedroom with the big bed is for me?"<p>

Tim blushed. "I didn't think you'd want to sleep on a small bunk bed, Jack."

"I may be getting old, Tim, but I can still hack it in tough spots." Jackson affectionately corrected him. "There is no way I'll be taking that big bed while the two of you are stuck on bunk beds! I'll be perfectly fine sleeping on a bottom bunk. And don't argue with me!"

Tim smiled as he shooed Jackson off to do as he wished while he and Leroy put their luggage away. Jack waved his hat at them as he headed outside to explore the place and its outdoor charm, claiming he wouldn't be back until it was time to start dinner at five. As the two men glared at him, he added that he had his door key and phone on him and he was a big boy, he'd be fine, before locking the door as he closed it behind himself on his way out

Sharing a laugh at the elder man's protestations, even as the door closed behind him, Leroy and Tim froze in their movements. Their laughter died out as they both felt the magnetic pull to each other, their eyes darkening with want as the distance between them shrank and arms found each other in a haze of embraces and blazing trails as everything blending together when the wave of passion crashed over them so fast and strong, they were caught in its strength.

Somehow, they made their way to the bedroom, not even making it onto the big bed in a heap as heated hands now traveled desperate paths under the barriers of clothing that were soon magically gone, leaving them both beautifully naked, freezing them on their feet, their haste forgotten.

As each drank in the raw beauty of the other for an endless moment thick with what they couldn't express, their eyes were drawn to the bottomless well of desire and hunger in each other's steely gazes, their cocks jumped to attention. Eyes still on each other and hands now reaching out to cradle and caress the other's rapidly rising, pulsing rods, soon both were taking the other ever so much closer to that edge they'd stood in sight of all day.

No sound between them, save the breathing that was quickly becoming ragged and loud. For the first time since Friday night, no move from either of them to turn up the heat with a kiss they both knew would pour gasoline on the already roaring fire.

With gentle tugs and hurried sweeps across the tips of each other's now weeping cocks, it wasn't long before the edge loomed directly in front of them, their ragged breathing and glazed eyes leading the way. Finally, it was as if their lips couldn't stand to be apart any longer, with their bodies quaking in near release, their mouths came together in a heated crush, tongues instantly dancing erotically as they both crashed over the atmosphere, finally moaning in absolute ecstasy, their free hands holding each other up.

*****NCIS******

Laying cuddled together in the euphoric aftermath, Tim couldn't help running his fingers through Leroy's hair, even as they both still fought to regain their breathing. "Love you, Leroy." He breathed out.

The older man smiled softly, reaching out his own hands to Tim's cheek in response. "Never doubted it."

"Does it bother you to hear me say it often?"

Leroy chuckled. "Twice hardly counts as often, Tim. And no, it doesn't. You just don't need to - when I see it in everything you do – everything you worry about – plan for."

Tim smiled as he went silent, letting his hands that were caressing his lover's hair with great affection, speak for him.

Leaning closer, Leroy claimed Tim's mouth, sensually and invitingly, letting Tim return the tenderness at will and soon, they lay wrapped in each other's arms, their mouths locked together in that timeless passion filled dance that only the need to breathe could disrupt.

Taking in gasps of air, Tim laid his head on his lover's shoulder and snuggled closer to him. "God, I don't want to be apart from you for six months." He moaned soulfully.

Instantly, Leroy's arms were around him comfortingly as he spoke soothingly in his ear. "I know, Tim. But we both agree that you're right. It has to be done. We'll get through it."

Tim silently nodded into his lover's shoulder but the trembling that came over him suddenly was beyond his control, now that he'd slipped and opened that Pandora's Box again and his emotions were quick to escape.

Now that they were truly alone without anywhere else they had to be, he could let it all out and he found that now that the lid was off everything he'd kept bottled up about this life-changing decision – his heart being torn apart. He'd never felt so happy; so complete and so loved in his life than what he'd found with Leroy and he was walking away from it; from him for six whole months!

Holding Tim through his moment of emotional release, Leroy felt tears in his own eyes. He hadn't realized just how right his father was when he'd said Tim's heart was breaking over this decision. It was up to Leroy to make sure his lover didn't lose faith that this monumental sacrifice he was getting ready to make would not tear them apart; that they'd still be as strong, if not stronger, through it and when Tim was back home with him.

Waiting for the younger man's emotions to calm, he began soothing him with strokes up and down his back until he felt Tim relax, his breathing evening out into sleep, as Leroy leaned over and kissed him on the head, "Everything will work out, Tim. Trust me."

Slipping from the bed, he stepped into his clothes, headed into the bathroom and quickly washed up before heading back to his lover, warm, wet hand towel in hand to wash him. Being careful not to wake him, Gibbs savored this time while he cleaned Tim up.

Being quick to toss the hand towel back into the portable hamper they'd set up, he stripped himself out of his clothes and slipped back into bed. This time he lay behind his lover, lifting the man's torso just enough to snuggle the younger man onto his own chest. Dragging the blanket up over both of them, he wrapped his arms around Tim, kissed him on the temple again and happily drifted off to sleep.

*****NCIS*****

Leroy woke when he heard his father enter to the cabin. Glancing at his watch, he was surprised to find it wasn't yet five. Concerned, he carefully slipped from the bed, being cautious not to wake Tim. Quickly donning his clothes, he silently left the room to go talk to his father.

"Dad? Not five yet, Everything alright?"

"Hello, Jethro. Nothing to worry about, I just felt like getting started on dinner a little early; figured the two of you would be off checking the place out together. Everything alright? Seems awfully quiet in here."

"Tim's asleep."

"Oh? Is he alright?"

Leroy sighed and shook his head. "No. not really. He's as tough as nails, Dad, does anything anyone asks of him at work, never complains. Not even when he's being treated like crap. When I look back and remember the times he was walked on; treated like he didn't matter…."

"That's the past, Son. What's that got to do with now?" Jackson argued stubbornly.

"He's always kept everything bottled up."

"Like you, ya mean."

"Yeah. Just like me." Leroy admitted with a sigh of frustration.

"I'm guessing he finally let the cork out of the bottle?"

"Yeah."

"He's not feelin' too good about that decision of his, is he?"

"He's scared it will backfire on us."

"Understandable fear to be feelin', Jethro."

"Yeah. I know."

"Best you can do is give him your word that it won't. That'll do the trick."

Leroy quirked his eyebrow at his father.

"Don't think I don't know that team of yours lives by your promises as well as your rules. Tim's no different. Obviously, he's living by your promises more than the rest of them. And his wanting to live by your rules is why he's determined to go this route. I commend you for supporting him on it."

"Thanks, Dad. And you're right. He does put a lot of faith in me. I'm not gonna let him down."

"I know that, Son. And more importantly, so does Tim."

*****NCIS******

The warm and steady heartbeat of his lover, wrapped around him, woke Tim from his nap. Feeling strangely lighter in spirit, he stretched as he opened his eyes, to find those cobalt blue ones watching him with enough concern that it brought Tim's memory back online.

"I'm sorry I fell apart like that." He sat up and blinked several times, still trying to clear his vision completely as he voiced his first thought.

The older man was quick to sit up as well. "Nothing to be sorry about, Tim. Just wished you'd let it out sooner; talked to me sooner so it didn't take hold of ya like that." Leroy's reply was quick yet reassuring with just a little bit of reprimand that let Tim know this really was affecting him as well.

"Now that it's out in the open, I will." Tim promised as he looked back at his lover with trust and appreciation that he could talk about it, their arms wrapped around each other's waist.

"Good. Ready to eat? Dad's been slaving away in the kitchen."

"Yeah." Tim still didn't move to get out of bed.

"Something wrong?"

"When are you gonna tell me exactly what's going through your mind about it?" Tim asked as he looked him straight on, his own eyes now filled with concern.

"I think my gut reaction said it all, don't you?" Leroy asked him somberly.

"No, I don't." Tim replied honestly. "Promise me we'll talk about it. Please."

The older man's compassionate gaze trapped Tim's, anchoring the younger man as he offered him what he needed to hear: the truth. "Yeah, Tim. We'll talk about it." His lover promised. "We'll talk about it whenever you need to. I'm as unhappy about six months of separation as you are. Let's leave it at that and make the most of this trip you've put so much of yourself into for me, alright?"

"I know. I'm sorry. I got caught up in the moment and…" The younger man offered, faltering a bit as he got up off the bed.

"Sssh. I get it. I was in it with you." Leroy tenderly kissed him into silence.

Tim nodded as he pulled back from the kiss to breathe freely for a spell and slip into his clothes. Stepping back into Leroy's space, he kissed him back, ghosting his hand down Leroy's cheek. When he withdrew from the kiss, he whispered "Love you so much." just before he slipped out the door without another word, suddenly needing some distance

*****NCIS*****

Tim seemed to have left his meltdown back in the bedroom, his normal uplifting and cheerful demeanor back in place by the time Leroy had joined him and his father at the dinner table. With Jackson's animated details of how nice the Marina and surrounding area was, dinner and clean up soon passed in a hurry.

With coffees in hand, they headed out to the spacious deck and settled into the lounge chairs there, a couple of warm blankets and a clear winter sky. Having moved two of the lounge chairs next to each other, Tim and Leroy snuggled together to keep warm. Quietly taking in the breathtaking sunset across the water, the lovers were caught up in their intimate moment. They never even heard Jackson slip off to bed some time later, knowing there was an early morning wakeup call on the horizon, leaving them alone in the night.


	18. Chapter 17

_I've become addicted to posting this!_

* * *

><p>First light of day on Wednesday found the trio waking up and getting ready to go, just in time to be scooped up by the charter crew from Bobby Lynn's Marina. Loaded down with their own food &amp; drinks –insect repellent, sun screen for Leroy and Jackson, sun block for Tim's sensitive skin, rain gear &amp; fish towels, they were more than ready to enjoy the day. They spent an exhilarating day out on the open bays, anchored on submerged reefs and old oil field platforms and trolling around them finding, catching, releasing and watching all the speckled trout, redfish and flounder their eyes could take in.<p>

As conscientious fishermen, they were not willing to keep any more than what they could eat for dinner that night. They quite happily tossed back many more than they ever imagined catching, much less more than what they could even think of eating, while keeping verbal score of who had caught the biggest one yet.

They ended the day on the water at two in the afternoon with two huge flounders that would make any fisherman proud. Too tired to wait for the fish to be cleaned by the crew, they headed back to their cabin to shower, relax and unwind. The guide promised to deliver their fish to them in plenty of time for dinner.

A quiet evening spent cooking, cleaning up and relaxing together with no pressure to do anything more than rest, helped pass the time. They eventually headed off to bed for the sleep they needed for their early morning flight to another secret destination which Tim was again keeping tightly wrapped up until the last minute. The two lovers slept, contentedly spooned together, with Leroy's arm holding Tim close.

*****NCIS*****

Five-thirty Thursday morning found them ready to leave on time, a quick breakfast and clean up handled by the three men with little conversation as they each struggled to wake up. With their flight leaving at 7:15, the Charter Service Shuttle was at their door waiting for them by six. The thirty- minute drive to the airport much quieter than the ride in had been, Leroy and his father enjoyed their coffee and the passing scenery while Tim's attention seemed to be covertly concentrated just on Leroy, that is, when he wasn't drinking his coffee. The two of them sat in the back, fingers interlaced where their hands rested on the seat – out of sight of the driver's eyes in his rearview mirror.

It was a change in public behavior for Tim, and Leroy was happy to see it, a smile plastered on his face that he knew his lover couldn't help noticing. Their fingers spoke for them during the trip, never once losing contact with each other. This manic paced staying busy or traveling was seriously hampering their alone time, however, it had been an awesome trip that Tim had put his heart and soul into arranging.

Spending their days out on various waterways with different kinds of fishing had been a wonderful and thoughtful vacation for the three of them. Leroy was grateful to be able to spend so much time with both his father and his lover and that Tim had figured a way to do just that.

Keeping that thought in the forefront of his mind kept Leroy from finding anything to complain about on any of this vacation, though he did keep a sharp eye on his father, wanting to be sure none of this was too much for him. He wasn't surprised to find that Tim had taken that into consideration as well, with someone on the staff always keeping an extra eye on the elder man, providing him with a comfortable seat, extra water, a sun hat, and the like. Leroy had to laugh at the woeful expression on his father's face a time or two over the last few days. Apparently the senior Gibbs sometimes felt too pampered.

The flight to Atlanta and their 90 minute layover went smoothly. With no problems greeting them at the next leg of the journey, all three of them were able to relax over a large coffee and Danish before boarding their connecting flight, departing at 11:31am, that would take them to Chattanooga.

Tim had admitted that much earlier on the short flight when it had landed at 9: 48, his sheepish look back in full play that said he had more details to tell than he was willing to admit to. No amount of cajoling would get him to let any more information out about the rest of their vacation that was slowly but surely coming to an end. For now, they'd continue to enjoy every minute of their time together.

****** NCIS******

When they finally landed in Chattanooga at12:20 in the afternoon, Tim surprised Leroy with the keys to the Ford Escape rental vehicle from National Car Rental, another nice Sport Utility Vehicle and he burst into a smile at the look of genuine appreciation that crossed the older man's already handsome face, for the vehicle's durability and good looks.

With a grin, Tim told him the directions were already programmed into the navigation system and Tim was the back-up for it. With an answering smirk, Leroy got behind the wheel and drove them toward their next destination.

Pulling into the parking lot of the Quality Inn Lookout Mountain a short fifteen minutes later, they all seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. The idea of being able to sit and relax without moving was definitely appealing. When Tim announced that they didn't have to go anywhere until around 3:00 that afternoon, it brought smiles to both Jackson's and Leroy's faces, even though that gave them less than two complete hours to rest up.

Once inside their own room, with Jackson in his room next door, Leroy quickly showed Tim that he was in no hurry for any kind of a nap; but rather, very hungry for some intimate time with his lover. Reaching for him before they'd even gotten five feet inside the door, the older man's mouth met Tim's and the sensuous dance began in earnest, their feet traveling on their own, taking them to the bed over by the window.

From within his lover's arms, Tim moved, his hands blazing heated trails everywhere they could reach as his cock rose to the occasion, thickening and lengthening through the restriction of his jeans. Moaning in hunger, he squirmed, pillowing his groin with that of the older man's until even Leroy was breathless, pulling back for air.

Immediately, Tim got busy unzipping his lover's pants, but instead of taking the time to remove them completely, he sensuously slid down to his knees, reached inside and gently cupped him just long enough to earn him a moan of lust filled appreciation, before caressing the swelling muscle and setting him free, taking him in, swallowing him whole, his mouth a warm tight vacuum that had Leroy's eyes rolling to the top of his head. "Tim!"

Running his hands up and down Leroy's legs after taking the time tug the mans' pants down,while he suckled him off, Tim's hands traveled to the older man's rear end; squeezing and massaging the firm, beautiful globes, and even ghosting his finger tip across the opening, eliciting a groan of pleasure from his lover.

When Leroy's arms reached down and pulled at him, wordlessly beckoning to him, Tim smiled as he tenderly slid his mouth off the now throbbing muscle and deliberately took his time first getting rid of the rest of their clothes before slowly sliding against Leroy everywhere their bodies touched as he once again, found his mouth, this time plundering it roughly in absolute lust.

As soon as Tim's mouth locked on his once more, Leroy locked his arms around his lover and lowered them to the bed, rolling them so the young man was underneath him, their legs intertwined while their mouths meshed and loved each other.

Pulling away for air, Tim's arms wrapped around Leroy's chest, "I love these times with you, Leroy." He murmured softly.

Lifting himself up off Tim's chest so they could look into each other's eyes, Leroy worked his fingers through the younger man's hair as he kissed the top of his head. While still trying to regain his breath, the older man's arms moved to caress the beautiful, firm body everywhere they could reach, stopping to play with the younger man's nipples.

Squirming more, pushing his nipples into his lover's touch, Tim moaned his pleasure, his hands fisting into the bedspread underneath him. As Leroy took a nipple into his mouth and suckled it, Tim's chest rose even higher off the bed. "Mmmm! So good!"

With that soft smile he shared only with Tim, Leroy disappeared from Tim's view but was heard unzipping one of the luggage bags and was soon back, straddling the young man, the smile still in place. "Close your eyes and just feel." He crooned as he gently raised Tim's arms up over his head and patted them to let it be known they needed to stay there.

"I love looking in your eyes when we make love to each other." Tim mourned the directive he'd just been given.

"Me too. Just do this for me."

"Okay." Tim whispered, reaching out one stubborn arm to card his fingers through his lover's hair for a moment of tenderness, before putting it back over his head with the other one and closing his eyes as he'd been asked.

Leaning in for a tender kiss, Leroy drank from it, all that Tim gave and together, they climbed high enough that both felt the wave of pleasure that brought moans from their throats. Moving further south, Leroy blazed trails of kisses down Tim's neck and all over his chest, his fingers gently trailing in their wake, but again, stopping at the young man's nipples.

The older man's mouth kept nibbling and kissing his way down Tim's body. His hands remained on his lover's nipples, gently playing with them and tugging on them. Leroy had to smile when his ministrations, elicited yet another sensual moan from the younger man that became a full-fledged exclamation when he felt the warm tight cavern that was his lover's mouth, swallow him whole and milk him greedily, as if starving for a drink.

"OOOH!" Tim's ecstatic shout went straight to Leroy's own now hardened and weeping cock and it was all he could do to hold off from rushing through what he wanted to do for his lover; with him.

Writhing in absolute ecstasy from the hands on his nipples at the same time his cock was being treated to the best loving it had ever had, Tim's body was alight with so much fire, he didn't know how much more he could take, "God, Leroy, fill me, please! Need to feel you." He begged as that tightening feeling began rising up from the souls of his feet.

Removing one hand from the man's nipple, Leroy worked to lube himself and Tim's hole while still sucking on his lover's now rock-hard cock, his own ecstatic moan filling the air as he finally eased his mouth from the muscle and set his own cock in line with Tim's entrance and breached it, hearing Tim's groan of discomfort mixed with pleasure , their words mixing together in the air.

"Feels so good, Leroy!"  
>"So tight, Tim!<p>

Gripping the blanket above his head so tightly, his fingers were translucent, Tim pushed himself into his lover's touches, feeling pleasure in so many places at once, he could barely breathe as both those hands again worked on his nipples and the steel rod filled him oh, so completely, it felt like heaven! When one of Leroy's hands moved and wrapped itself around his aching, throbbing cock once more, gently sweeping a thumb over the tip, Tim was gone; over that edge with a shout. "NNGGGGGGHHHH!"

Leroy smiled as he watched his lover succumb to the multi- layered lovemaking that had sent him over so fast. He'd been wanting to do that for Tim for a while now and even now, as he continued to drive his cock into the younger man's still tight, hot channel, he felt ready to explode. There was nothing more sensual and sexy than seeing your lover's ecstasy strewn across his face as he let go and let it take him away.

With a moan, Leroy was carried away with his own release, catapulting over the moon, visions of Tim's face awash in complete sensual abandon filling his mind.

Taking a few minutes to come down from the high, the older man gently withdrew from his lover and headed to the bathroom for a towel to clean them both up before slipping in beside him, holding him as they rested.

*****NCIS******

Almost two hours later and the trio was ready for their next big adventure. When they got to the car, Tim reached over and snagged the keys from his lover. "You can't drive to this next stop. It's so close to the hotel, you'll just get frustrated." He grinned almost saucily.

"Yeah? How close?" Leroy challenged him.

"Uhm How about less than six miles?" Tim huffed in laughter.

"That is close." Jackson piped in with surprise.

"We're ready. Got good sturdy shoes on and jackets, oh and water bottles. Let's go." Tim replied as he got in the driver's seat, and waited with a grin for his lover to go around and get in the car.

"You'd better be right about this." Leroy groused with a grin.

"Have I let you down yet?" Tim joked.

With complete seriousness, the older man looked his lover straight on, "No, Tim. You haven't."

Swallowing hard, Tim nodded as he reached for Leroy's hand and squeezed it. "Thanks." He offered quietly, taking those words as deeply as they were intended.

"Bout damn time you two started bein' yourselves in front of me!" Jackson groused. "Told you on day one, not to be worryin' about it."

"We haven't, Jack. I promise." Tim offered as he reluctantly released his lover's hand and put his full attention on driving.

*****NCIS*****

_The mountain that straddles the Georgia-Tennessee line is full of exquisite seasonal delights and activities. Technically it is in Georgia but is in the area that has been disputed by the two states since before the Civil War. The mountain is only six miles from downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee._

_For starters, check out the famous Lookout Mountain Incline, which is dubbed "America's Most Amazing Mile." Open year-round, the ascent begins at the foot of the mountain at the St. Elmo station, where free parking is available. As you ride up the Incline, the trolley-style railcars carry you cloud-high on the breathtaking 72.7% grade of the track._

_This grade gives the Incline the distinction of being the steepest passenger railway in the world. The rail opened in 1895, and was as much a technical marvel then as it remains today, attracting people from all over the world._

_… Rock City is a true marvel of nature featuring massive ancient rock formations, gardens with over 400 native plant species, and breathtaking "See 7 States" panoramic views. Take an unforgettable journey along the Enchanted Trail where each step reveals natural beauty and wonders along the woodland path._

_Experience the magic of Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village, visit one of our regional gift shops and dine at the Big Rock Grill. Rock City is splendid year-round - "Each season there's a new reason to visit!"_

_Rock City's Enchanted Garden of Light. Rock City is a true marvel of nature situated on top of Lookout Mountain overlooking Chattanooga._

_Filled with huge rock formations, gardens with all kinds of native plants, and a breathtaking "Seven States" viewing point, Rock City is fun to visit anytime. But there's something special and magical about Rock City's Enchanted Garden of Light._

_The rock formations are eerie at night, and the huge light displays are dazzling and unexpected. More than 25 light displays change Rock City into a place of holiday splendor. Concessions with warm drinks and snacks are available, and live music is played every night, from school choruses to handbell choirs to bluegrass bands. The Enchanted Garden of Light opens November 17th and lasts through January 6th._

As Jack stopped reading out loud from the brochure he'd picked up at the park's entrance, the smile that lit his face was a sight to behold. Tim looked to Leroy, knowing the man's father's expression would mean a lot to his lover. Sure enough, the happiness mirrored there made this all worthwhile and it reminded Tim where Leroy came by his hidden fun-loving nature as well as his love of the outdoors.

The youngest of the three stayed silent, letting the other two soak up all they could from the experience as they went 'd all thoroughly enjoyed that breath-taking view on the ride up the mountain, that was for sure. It was an afternoon and early evening well spent as the spectacle of nature, lit by the lights, enthralled them all.

None of them thought to worry about the time or even if they should be stopping to eat dinner. Tim spent more time watching his lover's reactions and genuine enjoyment than he did the lights, yet he had no complaints. Even when his stomach began growling, he refused to spoil the other's fun by suggesting they go eat dinner. He could wait until they were ready.

Watching Tim covertly, seeing his focus was on, not the Garden of Light he'd brought them to, but on himself, Leroy smiled inside. He knew Tim cared more about his happiness than he did his own but he also knew his lover was hungry and frankly, so was he. Looking over at his father, Leroy shared a smile with him. The sly old fox already knew what was going on. He knew that Tim wasn't even sight-seeing so much as he was Leroy-seeing. And both the boys were hungry. He was fine with that. They'd been here for hours and he was hungry too.

"How 'bout some dinner?"

"Sounds good, Jack. I hear there's a really great place to eat just a few minutes from here." Tim offered cheerfully.

"Yeah, I'll just bet 'you heard'." Jackson joked. "Wait, don't tell me. We passed it as we came in."

Tim smirked as they headed toward the park entrance. "You got me there."

Twenty minutes later found them comfortably seated inside the Big Rock Grill. The short-order style restaurant offered everything from hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, to chicken fingers and French fries.

"Leroy, there's a Starbucks right outside the main entrance in the Cornerstone Station." Tim offered the reminder, knowing how much his lover would appreciate the real stuff. "It's open til nine tonight."

"Then I guess we'd better get eatin'" Leroy joked. "'Cause we've got a stop to make."

The three of them shared laughter as they dug into their meals, happy and relaxed.

*****NCIS*****

Having told both Gibbs' men that they had the morning to relax and didn't have anywhere to be until one, had put huge smiles on both their faces last night as they'd trudged wearily into their hotel a few hours later. Reminding them that they had to leave by noon and that they needed to avoid eating breakfast, Tim had bid Jackson good night and headed for his own room, desperate for a hot relaxing shower.

*****NCIS*****

Leroy smiled softly as his body was caressed and kissed awake, his lover's attentive hands and lips not missing a single spot on his upper body. Wrapping his arms around Tim, he kissed him tenderly as he greeted him. "Mmmm. You're spoilin' me."

Tim couldn't help but smile back as he answered, his tone serious. "Not near as much as you deserve." Sliding up beside him on the bed, the young man swooped in for a tender kiss before offering up what he had to say next. "Sorry I fell asleep on you last night."

"Nuthin' to be sorry for. Don't want you wearin' yourself too thin. Didn't mind just relaxin' with you while you slept." Leroy replied as the vision of his naked lover laying strewn across his chest while he slept returned and still left the older man with that contented feeling in his chest.

In no hurry this morning, Tim took the opportunity to get comfortable laying on Leroy's chest, their legs and fingers interlacing as they enjoyed the time basking in each other's quiet demonstration of love.

Countless moments went by as they contentedly snuggled in golden silence, just listening to each other's quiet breathing. As Tim's eyes blinked, they happened on the wall clock, reminding him with a pang, that this moment could not last – none of them could because time stands still for no one.

Hearing the small hitch in his lover's breathing, Leroy looked at him closely. "Talk to me."

"We'll be home Saturday night." Tim admitted sadly.

"You're worried there won't be any time for this." His lover surmised.

A small shudder rippled through Tim as he answered quietly. "Yeah."

"Raising himself up on one elbow, Leroy traced the tip of his finger down his lover's cheek. "We'll always do what we can to make the time for us, Tim." He promised just before he leaned in and gently drank from those lips that called to him as the young man quickly gave back with all the passion and love he had to give.

This sparked the fire as it quickly spread; growing hotter and hotter until together, as one, connected by Leroy's rock-hard love muscle, slowly but steadily inciting Tim's inner heat to its' boiling point – both of them flew together in its explosive wake.

"Wow." Tim softly exclaimed some time later as he recovered from within the encompassing arms of his equally worn out lover

"Somethin' like that." Leroy admitted quietly with a grin as his fingers absently played with Tim's hair; now one of his favorite thing to do in these quiet moments.

Tim sighed contentedly and snuggled closer, but his need for a shower made it necessary to get up and get ready instead. "I need a shower. Come join me?" He teased his lover.

"Not this time." Leroy answered. "Wake me when you're done, will ya?" He encouraged tiredly.

Tim smiled as the older man lay back down, closing his eyes. Heading for the bathroom, a towel slung over his shoulder, the young man stopped and turned around, his eyes now locked on the man in the bed. Watching his lover sleep for a bit, Tim's heart sang. After what seemed like forever, he walked over and sat down on the bed, one fingertip trailing down Leroy's face lovingly as he quietly spoke .

"Love you, Leroy. With all my heart."

Not expecting a reply, Tim took himself to the shower, letting the heated water massage not only his tired, aching body, but his emotions as he put them away for safe keeping once more. Closing his eyes, he cleared his mind of everything for this one moment of serenity he now usually only found in Leroy's arms.

As if on cue, the older man's arms embraced him now, gently pulling him back into the solid brick wall that was himself, those strong, yet tender lips kissing his temple.

"Love you too, Tim. Lemme show you how much."


	19. Chapter 18

**A/N:** _ Only 6 more chapters to go after this, so..._

* * *

><p>By the time noontime rolled around Tim and Leroy had worked up a voracious appetite while cementing their relationship even more. Meeting up with Jackson at 11:45, Tim smirked as he once again climbed into the driver's seat, listening to the two older men grumble about having to pass up a <em>'damn good lookin' continental breakfast we didn't even have to go out and get'.<em>

"You'll be glad you did." Tim promised them both with a chuckle he couldn't contain.

"I dunno, Tim. I'm starvin'." Leroy groused almost seriously, a wicked gleam in his eye.

Sparing him a glance, Tim smiled softly at the reminder of the out of control hunger they'd both been feeling for each other all morning; trying their best to satisfy while still finding the time to cuddle and shower. Still, the young man couldn't help but take this opportunity to tease his lover. "How hungry are you, Leroy?"

Hearing that tone his lover only used when he was trying to incite their passion for each other, Leroy's eyes darkened in a flash of naked desire exposed.

Thankful to be at a red light, Tim frowned, regretting having baited the older man like that when it would be well over twelve hours before they would be able to be alone again. "Sorry."

Tim's soft-spoken apology accompanied with a look of genuine remorse eased the moment, as did the young man's announcement that the day was full and it would be a late dinner for them if they even wanted to stop for it later on. With a large southern-style spread for lunch on a two hour tour, they might not be hungry at all. The look in Leroy's eyes promised he'd definitely be hungry; very hungry.

*****NCIS*****

Sure enough, by one in the afternoon, they were at their destination with Jackson taking up his now apparently favorite part of each stop along the way, reading the brochure, which had more details than Tim had given them. With a twinkle in his eye, he began reading aloud, his voice carrying across the forward deck of the ship:

_'Tis the Season Luncheon Cruise in Chattanooga'_

_Join us for a 'Tis the Season Holiday Luncheon this year._

_Take a break from hustle and bustle and enjoy a relaxing two hour cruise with our slow cooked Prime Rib and shrimp creole._

_This cruise is fun for the whole family!_

_Sit back and relax as the Riverboat Ramblers provide on board entertainment._

_These cruises are weather-permitting._

_Lunch selections include:_

_• Hand carved Prime Rib Au Jus Savory Shrimp Creole_

_• Riverboat Steamed Rice Dilly Redskin Potatoes_

_• Seasonal Vegetable Medley Caesar's Salad_

_• Dinner Rolls Southern Belle Salad_

_• Garlic Bread sticks Chocolate Supreme Cake_

As he finished reading this time, the almost crowded deck was filled with applause from the group of hungry tourists who appreciated not only his willingness to publically speak like that, but also that he obviously enjoyed doing it.

Looking up, startled, Jackson broke into a shy smile as he offered a humble. "Thank you."

Laughing at his father's sudden rise to popularity, Leroy had to compliment him. "Nice job, Dad."

"You sure you never worked in Public Relations?" Tim joked, as they headed into the dining section of the large three-decker boat.

*****NCIS*****

Three in the afternoon found the three men quite happily stuffed and almost ready for a nap instead of the next adventure on their vacation calendar. The two hour tour had been a wonderful way to spend some relaxing time on the water while enjoying a marvelous lunch and the unseasonably warm day.

When Tim announced that their one stop could be taken at their own pace, both Leroy and Jackson relaxed.

*****NCIS*****

Taking that magnificent ride up the mountain again was just as thrilling the second time as it had been the first. None of the three men could tear their eyes off the beauty with which they were surrounded. Once at the top, they stopped long enough to read what about what was in store for them just down the road from the beauty they'd seen the day before.

Picking up the brochure this time, it was Tim who read aloud from it.

_"Right down the road, located on top of Lookout Mountain, Ruby Falls is an amazing, invigorating experience any time of the year. Ruby Falls is a marvelous waterfall located in Lookout Mountain Cave that was named after the discoverer's wife, Ruby. At Christmas time, Ruby Falls is transformed with magical lights and sound effects that dazzle the viewer. Dancing, colored lights envelop the falls and bathe it in color._

_There are restaurants and gift shops open at the end of a tour, and each tour takes about 90 minutes. Any time of the year, Ruby Falls is worth a stop, and with Christmas lights and music, it adds to the excitement of the season._

_On your way to the waterfall, enjoy the many geological wonders located throughout the cave. After your tour, be sure and take in the many scenic views from the top of the Lookout Mountain Tower. Ruby Falls is a must stop for any trip to or through the Chattanooga Area._

_This massive underground waterfall has been a family favorite for travelers for over 80 years._

_Celebrate Christmas here at Ruby Falls, Friday and Saturday nights in December, with fresh fallen snow, horse drawn carriage rides, live music, crafts and more!_

_Visit Ruby Falls and see America's deepest commercial cave and the highest, most-visited underground waterfall. Enjoy a guided tour through this fascinating attraction with its 145-foot waterfall, and millions of natural geological formation._

_At the tour's conclusion see the panoramic view from the Lookout Mountain Tower, enjoy the newly renovated gift shops, and relax on the mountainside deck with a snack._

_Guided tour through the caverns of Lookout Mountain. A thundering underground waterfall and amazing views await._

_As you approach the Cavern Castle, it's snowing! Listen to Mrs. Claus read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and then enjoy a specialized Christmas tour of the cave and live music in the Cavern Castle Lobby. After your tour visit the North Pole Workshop for festive crafts and activities! Ruby Falls is proud to feature LED lighting throughout the castle and waterfall, making the holiday experience even that much brighter! Finish the evening off with a horse and carriage ride by Down South Carriage."_

Setting the numerous brochures down, Tim looked at his companions and waited with bated breath. Seeing the grin that escaped both of them, he sighed in relief. He knew it would be another pleasant afternoon spent in the best company he could ask for. With a grin of his own, he stepped back and let Leroy lead the way – toward an afternoon inside of a cave.

*****NCIS*****

As they pulled into the hotel parking lot at the end of the long but fulfilling day, Tim turned the car off, but kept his hand on the ignition switch. "Our flight leaves at one tomorrow." He told the older two men.

"So we get to sleep in, then." Jackson approved.

"That'll be nice." Leroy commented tiredly.

"From Nashville." Tim amended seriously.

"What?"

"Why?"

"It's a three and a half drive on the interstate, straight shot. I thought you'd enjoy the time behind the wheel." Tim offered calmly as he looked his lover straight on.

Looking back at the younger man, Leroy could only smile softly in apology as he nodded. "Good thinkin', Tim."

"It will be nice to see a little more of this lovely state. Too bad we won't be in Nashville long enough to visit any attraction there." Jackson commented, dispelling any thoughts that he was upset with the plan.

"That depends on us, Jack. If you want, we can leave here early enough to fit in a walk through the Gaylord Opryland Ice Show. It's better at night, but still nice enough during the day that it would be worth it. And it's just fifteen minutes from the airport." Tim offered.

"So we need to leave here by ten to catch the flight but eight if we wanna make the stop." Leroy reminded them.

With a roll of his eyes and a quiet chuckle, Tim amended that. "Let's give ourselves a little room for good measure. Say 9:30 for just making the flight home and 7:00 if we're going to the ice show?"

"Sounds good to me." Jackson replied happily.

"Which one?" Both Tim and Leroy asked in unison.

With a touch of laughter, Jackson stuck to his guns. "Why don't we wait and see how we feel about it in the morning?"

"The flight home is over three hours long- long enough for an afternoon nap." Tim offered, knowing that the information might come in handy when they were making their decision.

"Let's decide in the morning." Jackson stubbornly suggested.

"Okay. Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm beat. It's been a really great day but my pillow is calling me." Tim replied with genuine exhaustion.

"Don't mind hittin' the hay myself." Jackson returned tiredly as the younger man got out of the car at the same time he did. "Good night, Tim."

Watching Tim smile softly across the top of the car at Leroy before heading inside, Jackson then turned his attention back to his son, looking him over for a long silent minute. "You alright, Jethro?"

The younger man smiled back tiredly at his father's concern. "Yeah, Dad. I'm fine. Just tired."

"Alright then, I'll see you in the morning."

"Night, Dad." Leroy first went straight to the head so he could brush his teeth, double timing his way back to the bedroom he was sharing with Tim and closed the door behind him, staring at the beautiful sight that met his eyes.

Stripped of everything except his boxers, Tim lay stretched out on the bed next to the window, on his side, his face to the door. Although obviously close to falling asleep, the younger man's eyes fluttered at the sound of the door's closing and that smile he saved for Leroy graced his face, lighting up the room.

Smiling in return, Leroy walked to the bed, quickly shedding his own clothes, except his briefs along the way. Sliding onto the bed, he gathered his lover to his chest, wrapped him in his arms and brought the blanket over them both.

As Tim snuggled onto his lover's chest, the younger man sighed sleepily. "Mmm. my pillow."

Leroy chuckled. "Go to sleep."

With one more whispered thought, "Love you, Leroy." Tim sighed and let sleep take him away.

Leroy's vision blurred as he hugged his lover closer, kissed his hair and sighed happily. "Love you too, Tim."

*****NCIS*****

Saturday morning found them all awake and restless early enough, that they managed to be on the road by seven-thirty, after breakfast and plenty of coffee on hand - compliments of the hotel's continental breakfast they hadn't had to pass up this time.

With Leroy behind the wheel and the straightforward directions, the ride was enjoyable, full of pleasant conversation and plans for Jackson's trip home. Tim pointed out that it wouldn't be nice or even fair for the older man to go home to Stillwater before the others on the team had gotten a chance to visit with him. With a look of absolute horror, he reminded them that everyone's favorite lab rat would never forgive any of them if that happened.

Smirking at Tim's accurate assessment, Leroy advised his father that the earliest he should plan on heading home would be Monday after dinner with the team – and that was only if he had a guaranteed ride that he could trust, since he had already admitted that he didn't want to fly home.

As they talked and discussed ideas, the miles slipped away and Jackson even nodded off in the backseat he had insisted on riding in. Leroy and Tim spent the time with quiet, gentle touches and tender smiles amid Jackson's snoring and before they knew it, they'd reached Nashville. With the directions memorized in his head, Tim guided them to the Opryland Hotel, where they got out, happy for the valet parking and headed inside, more than ready to enjoy the sights.

*****NCIS*****

After an enjoyable hour of walking through the amazing light show, complete with everything from castles to Shrek the Hall, all three of them were amazed, drawn back into the Christmas spirit and feeling as though it was the perfect way to wrap up this awesome Christmas Week Vacation.

With plenty of time to spare, they made it to the airport, turned in their rental car and made it to their departure gate at the very busy airport, giving them a few minutes to relax at last.

After the hectic traveling they had experienced with the sightseeing, it was nice to be able to rest on the flight, knowing they were headed home. Once they got there, they would be able to genuinely rest and relax and just be themselves – family.

*****NCIS*****

True to Tim's plans , they were home once again, tucked up warm and tired in Leroy's living room by four-thirty Saturday afternoon, their luggage untouched as it sat in the trunk of the car – all of them happy to leave it for later.

As the older two men rested silently in the cozy living room, Tim smiled at them when he got up- heading to the kitchen. "You alright?" Leroy asked.

"I'm fine. Just have something I need to do. I'll just be a few minutes." The young man replied.

Leroy nodded as he watched him leave the room. He knew he was up to something, but he wasn't sure exactly what it was. With complete trust in Tim, there wasn't any more thought about it. Nodding off, he didn't realize he and his father had slept until the wonderful aroma of baked chicken with fresh vegetables and hearty potatoes reached his nose and woke him up.

With a smile, he lurched to his feet, stretching as he did, and headed to the kitchen after a quick glance at his father, also waking up from a short nap.

"Hey." Tim greeted him from where he stood at the sink, washing dishes.

"You've been busy." Leroy offered appreciatively as he leaned in for a kiss.

"Thought it'd be nice if we had a home-cooked meal without a lot of clean-up after all the eating out we've done all week." Tim offered." And you two don't have a lot of time to spend together before Jack goes home, so…"

"That's mighty nice of you, Tim." Jackson's voice came from behind them as the older man entered the room.

"I don't mind. I enjoy cooking when I have the time – and someone to cook for."

"Leroy actually cooks?"

"We trade off." Tim admitted with a smile. "He's a pretty good cook when he wants to be."

"I figured as much. Must have been another one of those things his wonderful Shannon taught him."

The look of horror on Jackson's face as soon as the words left his mouth had both Tim and Leroy quickly reassuring the man, he'd done nothing wrong by mentioning Leroy's first wife.

"Relax, Jack. Her memory and Leroy's will always have a place here." Tim offered seriously. "There are no forbidden topics between us."

"That's wonderful!" Jackson praised them, happy to hear it.

"It's just the way, Tim is, Dad." Leroy offered as he smiled softly at the younger man. "Need any help with dinner?"

"Just need to set the table." Tim admitted. "But, you don't have to do that. I'll get it."

"Nonsense, young man! You cooked and cleaned. The least we can do is set the table." Jackson agreed with his son as Tim surrendered with a smile of appreciation.

"Have to agree, Tim. Matter of fact, for the rest of the weekend, you're not doin' anything. Got it?" Leroy instructed with a straight face.

"I think I can handle that." Tim smirked as he was propelled into a chair as both Gibbs' worked at cleaning up and setting the table.

A short few minutes later, dinner was served and the three of them sat down comfortably and dug in, relishing the closeness and the love.


	20. Chapter 19

Waking up Sunday morning, neither Tim nor Leroy moved out of the other's reach; instead they snuggled together, Tim, lying strewn across his lover's chest, the older man's arms around him with unyielding reassurance. Being able to lay there and not worry about what time it was or where they had to go next was relaxing in itself and enjoying each other's talent for knowing when silence was golden was an added bonus.

Finally, needing to get up to heed the call of Mother Nature, they forced themselves to get up and took turns doing their business before taking a leisurely shower together, each sensually washing the other, no deliberate move to turn this quiet time together, that resembled those months before they'd taken things to the higher plane, into anything more. It was blissful but it wasn't meant to last all morning.

Surprisingly enough, once they'd showered and returned to lounging in bed together, it was Leroy who broke the silence, with a question that had long been on his mind, the first of several, actually. "Spent a lot of money on that trip, Tim."

"Every penny was worth it." The young man answered without hesitation as he lounged next to his lover.

"Not arguin' that. Trip of a lifetime. I need to know you didn't bankrupt yourself to do it." Leroy advised him, eyes locked on the younger man's.

"I didn't. Penny sold her house and moved overseas with her latest love interest. She gave me half of the money from the sale; gave Sarah half – but made her put most of hers in savings. "

"If you had that, why sell the Porsche?"

"I sold the car before Penny even thought of selling her house."

"Ah. That why you were able to get the Lincoln Hybrid you wanted and still pay for the trip? And you never said a word because it was all part of the secret?"

"Yeah. I promise you, I'm fine. I didn't go so far that I have to worry about living paycheck to paycheck. I've invested smarter this time – what I had left after paying for the trip, that is."

"Good." Leroy kissed him gently. "Proud of ya."

Tim smiled. "Thank you. C'mon, your father must be starving by now." He reluctantly drew back from his lover, climbing out of bed, heading for his clean clothes on the chair.

"He knows his way around a kitchen, Tim." Leroy replied dryly as he, too forced himself to get out of bed and get dressed into a comfortable pair of jeans.

Tim huffed out a laugh as he slid a pair of comfortable slacks over his otherwise naked bottom half; not wanting the tell-all fit of sweat pants or the too tight fit of jeans while they weren't alone in the house. "Maybe so, but it's not fair to make him take care of himself while he's staying with us."

Tim froze. Us. He'd never said that before in that context. It felt good to say it – sounded wonderful to his ears – but he worried that he was being presumptuous about Leroy feeling comfortable with saying it or with him saying it about the older man's home.

Leroy smiled as he came to stand beside his lover, swooping in for a gentle kiss and an unexpected teasing kneading of Tim's behind before pulling back to grin almost wickedly as he remarked. "Guess you gotta point there. We really should make sure he's not tryin' to burn our kitchen down."

*****NCIS*****

By ten, the three of them had eaten breakfast, pitched in to clean it up and retired to the living room to enjoy some quiet family time.

"Haven't seen any books from you. Haven't even seen your typewriter. You give up that part of yourself completely, Tim?" Leroy asked as they settled onto the couch while Jackson took a comfortable seat in the chair nearby, the fire warming the room along with the early afternoon bright sunshine through the back porch doors.

Tim nodded as he swallowed hard. Sitting next to his lover, he knew there was no reason not to bare his soul to the man who'd taken his heart and treated him with nothing but love and kindness since, even with Jackson present. There was no need for secrets between them. "Yeah. Ever since that lunatic….I just can't ever go through something like that again, you know? Every time I think of how scared out of her mind Abby must have been, I…"

"Wasn't your fault." The kind reassurance was rewarded with a tiny smile of thanks as Tim nodded again.

"I know. Or at least part of me does."

"What lunatic?" Jackson asked worriedly "What happened?"

"I'm gonna go get us some more coffee." Tim offered as he stood and left the room carrying their coffee mugs.

Leroy sighed. He hated it that parts of what they'd dealt with on the job still haunted any of his team – especially when it was this personal. As he filled his father in on the back story of why Tim wasn't writing any more, Jackson obviously became horrified as the look on his face gave testament to.

"But, he did get sent away, right?" The senior Gibbs asked when his son had finished telling the story he knew Tim didn't want to have to hear ever again.

"Oh, yeah. Matter of fact, he's still in the Psych ward. Not gettin' out any time soon." Leroy assured him.

"Good! Jethro, maybe you shouldn't push him to write again."

"Dad, it's part of who Tim is. He's good at it and he enjoyed doing it. And it's been three years. Long enough to stop denying himself something he likes to do." Leroy argued.

"You're right." Tim offered from the doorway as he came back, handed out the coffee and sat down next to his lover, picking up the strong hand and setting it in his lap where he held onto it. "But I won't do it if I have to go through what I did the first time the others found out about it."

"Won't happen. You're stronger and the team has changed, too; grown." Leroy looked straight on at his youngest agent, reminding him of the backbone he'd grown and learned to be comfortable with.

"I know. Let me think about it for a while." Tim offered. "Meanwhile, I promise to write you – at least emails – if you promise to actually read them."

"Good enough." Leroy replied with a grin, though sadness lingered in his eyes.

"So tell me how it is you two manage to keep what happens at work from following you home at night? I mean, surely there are times you two aren't on the best of terms from work – do you come home and leave it at the door?" Jackson asked.

Tim and Leroy smiled softly at each other before Tim answered for them. "It's not easy. Sometimes, it becomes the quietest, loneliest night we've ever had together in the same house – but we always manage to come back from it."

"Sounds like it's tough." The older man sympathized.

"Tryin' to make it easier." Leroy interrupted, his apologetic expression infusing Tim with the promise underneath his words.

"Good. I think you'll do fine together." Jackson offered. "Say, Tim, didn't you have a dog? Didn't you tell me over the phone a while back that your dog was named after Jethro here, so when we were talking that day, you almost got confused?"

Tim huffed out a laugh, a full-fledged laugh as he took in, his lover's amused grin. "Yeah. I did. But the girl who's been his regular walker since I've had him wanted him. So I let her adopt him. She's got more time for him and has more room than my apartment and a yard for him, too."

"But, you're here now." The older man reminded him.

"I wasn't at the time she asked me - had no idea I would be." Tim offered. "A lot of changes have happened since May."

"Are you sure you want her to take him permanently, Tim?" Leroy asked.

"I'm sure. " Tim's answer was almost immediate and firm.

Leroy looked at him with more scrutiny for a minute. "You never wanted him to begin with."

Tim shook his head. "No. I didn't."

Sighing deeply, Leroy took Tim's hand and gently squeezed it as he looked him straight on. "I am sorry we all treated you like that during that case– that I didn't stop any of it. "

Tim nodded silently as he swallowed around the lump in his throat.

"Promise me, you won't let anyone treat you that way again – including me." The Team Leader ordered quietly.

"I promise."

"Good."

"I'm gonna go get the luggage from the car – start some laundry." Tim got up and headed out to the car, leaving father and son to spend some time together.

*****NCIS*****

"Hey, how about some chess or checkers? Poker?" Tim offered as he came back into the room a good thirty minutes later, carrying the games mentioned, having retrieved them from their storage spot.

"Sounds good to me." Jackson replied cheerfully as he shifted to get comfortable again.

"Which one?" Leroy and Tim asked in unison, breaking off into laughter at Jackson's amused expression.

*****NCIS*****

The afternoon passed quickly, a haze of quiet fun and games without any serious conversation. Before they realized, it, evening had come and it was time to seriously prepare for the return to their "real" lives. Tim headed down to the basement to keep the laundry going as Leroy unpacked everything else and Jackson sorted his luggage, throwing his clothes in for the next wash, and checking for anything he'd need before he got home.

Over a late dinner the conversation, surprisingly enough, turned to Tim's dad. As the talk touched on their other teammates all having family to go home to for the holidays, the silent, shared look between his son and the youngest man in the house instantly clued Jackson in as to where the problem lay.

"Lost my parents in an accident and hadn't spoken to my dad for a while before that." Tim admitted. " He was not the most tolerant of people – if they didn't see things his way or jump to his bidding, he had no use for them and he never had any use for me – nothing good to say, no pride, no affection. When I left home, I left him and all that behind and he never wanted to reconcile – and then when I was ready, it was too late. But I think becoming my own person in spite of the problems I had with him made me a stronger person, so I guess in some way he was successful as a father, in spite of himself."

"That's a shame. I know what years of silence can feel like and it is a shame you were never able to reconcile with him. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, no matter whose fault it is."

"Dad." Leroy's pained objection struck a chord – bringing an apologetic look from his father and a sympathetic one from his lover.

"I was never happy about it either, Jack, but he was the adult, it was his choice not to try and made amends; there's nothing I can do about it now." Tim defended himself, inadvertently moving the conversation off Leroy's former sixteen year rift with Jackson.

"Oh, I'm sure you weren't, Tim. I wasn't judging you. I'm glad you were able to retain your beliefs in yourself and thrive as you have. I know that takes a lot of grit and determination.." Jackson quickly offered.

"Thanks, Jack." Tim offered quietly.

"This has been the most enjoyable Christmas I've had in a very long time and one I will always look back fondly on. I can't thank you enough, either of you." Jackson offered as he stood. "Now, I hope you'll forgive this old bag of bones, but I'm more than ready for a shower and an early night. I will see both of you in the morning."

"Don't get up early on our account, Dad. We'll both be gone by six." Leroy reminded him as he stood and walked over to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "You alright?"

"I'm fine, Son. I just need an early night."

"Good night, Jack." Tim offered as he stood. 'I'm glad you enjoyed yourself on the trip." Turning on his heel, he headed to the sink, throwing himself into cleaning up from dinner.

"C'mon, I'll walk up with you." Leroy offered.

"No need, son. You two enjoy your evening together. It's the last one you'll have before the real world barges back in on your relationship." Jackson winked before turning on his heel and heading out of the room, his footsteps on the stairs going up to the guest bathroom sounding through the air a moment later.

******NCIS******

Hours later, Tim and Leroy climbed into bed, snuggling close together as the end of the day closed in on them; the time they'd just spent after dinner, cuddling in front of the fire petting, nuzzling and quietly reminiscing about the way their relationship had come about and the vacation they'd just enjoyed together, setting the mood for now.

Though neither one said anything about it, it was as if the desire to take things to the raw, out of control level of sexual hunger, just wasn't there. In its place had settled the strong desire for the quiet comfort and companionship that was so much a part of who they were together– something they'd both come to absolutely love in these moments.

Nuzzling Tim's neck now, Leroy kissed him before he pulled back enough to look him in the eye. "Are Sarah and Penny back from their trip yet? Do you want to tell them about us and the change in your job before you tell the team?"

"They won't be back until nearly the end of the week. I don't want to wait that long to tell the team. Tim replied quietly. "I'll pick Penny & Sarah up from the airport Thursday night and tell them then. Maybe we can have them over for dinner over the weekend" The younger man looked his lover straight on. "Penny has always supported me, tried to make my father treat me differently, but he was too stubborn. I know they'll both be happy for us, I'm not worried!"

Running his fingers through his lover's hair, Leroy leaned in for a kiss. "Then I won't worry either. He murmured. "Still have to get Vance to approve this, ya know."

"I know."

"The request has to come from me"

"I know. I'm just glad we agree that it's a good career move. Wish I could just sign the request already"

Leroy chuckled softly. "Have to sell Vance on the idea first."

Snuggling onto Leroy's chest, Tim sighed contentedly. "I have faith in you. I just wish we had more time before we have to go back to work."

"Me too."

"I'm sorry, Leroy." Tim offered with genuine remorse.

"For what?" The older man was confused. His lover had nothing to be apologizing for.

"I didn't even make love to you today." The younger man quietly complained about himself as he caressed the older man's face along his ear.

"Hey. I enjoy these times without it, as much as you do." Leroy reminded him, lifting his lover's chin up with a crooked finger so their eyes met again.

"I know. " Tim smiled softly. "Part of why I love you so much."

Leroy huffed out a tiny laugh as he ran a hand soothingly down Tim's back. "Sleep, Tim."

Relaxing under his lover's calm, repetitive caresses, Tim did just that, letting sleep take him away, wrapped in the arms of the man he loved with all his heart.


	21. Chapter 20

_Enter...the Team._

* * *

><p>Deliberately driving separately into work, Tim and Gibbs arrived at their respective normal times, wanting no gossip when they were so determined to follow the rules. By the time Tim arrived in the squad room, Gibbs was just coming down the stairs from the Director's Office, hard copy of the request for Tim's career move in hand.<p>

Tim's heart twisted even as he forced himself to smile. They'd talked about this the night before, following the chain of command and how they agreed on the career oriented reasoning. Although Tim was prepared to just sign the request already, Gibbs had reminded him of the need to be patient and wait on Vance.

As ready as Tim thought he was, it still sent a pang of bittersweet sorrow through his heart at the physical reminder now in front of him of what he was giving up - both in stepping off the team and in leaving Leroy for six months.

Apparently it showed on his face as Gibbs put a hand up, almost touching him, but not quite, stopping him in his tracks, speaking quietly enough that only his lover would hear him. "Not too late to change your mind."

Tim shook his head immediately. "No. Either way, I'd have to at least leave the team and I won't do that without taking steps to better myself while I have the chance."

"There is another way, Tim."

Tim's eyes came up, locking on to his lover's. They hadn't talked about any alternatives to this dilemma. Between the vacation jam-packed with things to do and time spent with Jackson, each other and the passion that flared to uncontrollable heights almost every time either one laid eyes on the other, they'd basically just let this topic rest until last night when they'd put everything Tim had in mind into a plan of action.

Throughout the entire day of rest, relaxation and simply basking in each other's company yesterday, almost no mention had been made of this, with a quiet deliberateness that neither of them had missed or addressed. Now Tim was almost wishing they had talked about it more.

"I can retire now." The older man offered without batting an eye.

Tim shook his head. "You're too good at what you do for that. NCIS needs you. This team needs you. Not to mention, you'd go stir crazy without this job."

"And you're sure this is what you want."

Tim looked at him. "I'm sure it's what I have to do."

For a long silent minute, they looked at each other, fed off each other's strength and determination. Finally, Gibbs gave him his private small smile, his voice quietly soothing, one lover to another. "Trust me, Tim. We'll be fine."

Tim breathed out, as if in relief, nodding silently before heading to his desk; stopping mid stride, as if he had something else on his mind.

Walking right behind him, Gibbs was at his elbow when he stopped. "What is it?"

Turning to the man he loved with all his heart, Tim looked at him with his heart in his eyes, "Promise me you'll start wearing a vest."

Shocked, Gibbs couldn't speak. After a brief moment of thought, he nodded. For Tim, he'd start taking the extra step to ensure his own safety. He owed him that much. Truth be told, they should all have been wearing them long before now. It might take some getting used to, but it was yet another change he was willing to accept without complaint.

Smiling in silent appreciation, Tim turned back around and headed for his desk. He booted up his computer as the Team Leader let out a deep breath and went to his own desk - ready to put his game face on and start the day.

Less than five golden silent moments later, Ziva and Tony arrived together, disrupting the peace and quiet – and heralding the return of the work day in full force.

After they'd exchanged their Monday morning greetings, Tony and Ziva's abridged tales of their vacations and watched the boss stroll out in search of more coffee, Tony teased. "So, McNolife, how was your Christmas Vacation?"

Keeping his focus glued to his computer, Tim huffed in quiet laughter as he answered without hesitation. "Most memorable week of my life, Tony."

"Reee-ly!" Tony squealed as he made his way over to Tim's desk with lightning speed. "Do tell!"

"Nope." Tim replied almost cheerfully. "Not happenin'."

"No, way, Probie! You don't get to drop a bomb like that and not fill us in on the details!" The Senior Field Agent demanded.

Carrying the long-suffering act on a little longer for the sheer fun of it, Tim finally breathed out a long sad sigh. "Oh, alright." Mentally he admonished himself not to play quite so loose with his words - he still wasn't ready to talk about the coming changes, since they hadn't been approved yet. He didn't have a poker face and he might give it away. That was one thing he did not want. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to get serious once more.

"Really? You're gonna tell us the details?" Tony's anticipation was almost child-like and it made it hard to resist him but somehow, Tim held firm.

"Later." He replied seriously.

"Great!" Tony crowed." Wait, not later, Probie, now! Start spillin' those beans…"

_****Thwack****_

"Ow! Boss? Uhm, Thanks?" Tony sputtered in confusion.

"Later. When you all come to dinner at my place after work. Get back to work!" Gibbs ordered without heat.

"At dinner? We're having dinner? Together? Wait, you know about these details already?" Tony's draw dropped but quickly reconnected itself with the help of the angry glare from the boss. "Right. He'll tell us at dinner, which we're going to boss's house for. Tonight. Together." Tony mumbled to himself in exaggerated confusion as he turned his attention back to his work.

******NCIS******

After a boring first hour to the morning, a call-out came in, rousing the troops. As they stood to gear up, Gibbs looked over at his youngest agent. "McGee. Want you to stay here and start building the case. Richard Michaels, Petty Officer, First Class. Want everything you have on him by the time we get there."

"On it, Boss." Tim replied as he looked up at him, watching him gear up.

As the older man rounded his desk, he felt his lover's eyes on him. Looking over at him, he found Tim glaring at him angrily. Was he pissed at being left behind? Not the first time so why would that piss him off? "Something wrong, McGee?"

"You forgot something." Was all Tim offered although he remained glaring at him, as if he wasn't budging on the issue until it was resolved to his liking.

_"Promise me you'll start wearing a vest."_

His lover's heart-felt request came back to Gibbs now. Nodding, he smiled softly in apology before turning to his Senior Field Agent. "DiNozzo, requisition vests for the team, double time. Meet us in the car."

Picking up the phone, Tony quickly placed the order and set the phone down, but instead of following after the Team Leader, he took himself over to the probie's desk. "What the hell's goin' on, Probie? Even when Ari was targeting him, the boss hated wearing a vest. Now, what - suddenly, he just decides to make us all wear one?"

"You'd better get goin', Tony. They're liable to leave without ya." Tim reminded him coolly.

"Aw, hell! They would, wouldn't they?" Tony griped as he turned and headed for the stairs.

"Yeah, where do you think you learned it from?" Tim laughed, happy to have avoided that vest conversation but even happier that Leroy was serious about wearing one. Tim just prayed this last time out without them, would be a safe time.

*****NCIS*****

Three hours later and the case was already closed, another drunken sailor missing curfew but nonetheless alive and well, put them back on cold cases before the morning was over. The call for lunch brought sighs of relief from all three of the younger agents.

The afternoon passed quickly in a haze of cold case fact re-visiting, the vests were delivered for the team and when they had completed their paper work for the morning's case, the Team Leader let them go at an early hour. Agreeing to meet at Gibbs' home in an hour and a half, Tony and Ziva left.

Gibbs turned to his youngest agent, who'd stubbornly refused to look at him since that moment the team had started to leave out earlier in the morning. "Vance wants to see you."

Tim swallowed hard and nodded in understanding.

"C'mon, let's go."

"Both of us?" Tim asked in surprise, finally looking his way, only to find him already heading out of the squad room, obviously expecting Tim to be on his heels.

"Yup. Recommendation came from me, but it's crazy enough – he has to hear it from you that you're seriously willing to go through with it." Gibbs reminded him as he led the way up the stairs.

"Hell of a surprise to come back to." Vance complained as soon as they stepped inside his office and shut the door, the toothpick clenched between his teeth as he glared at both his agents. "Can't say I was happy to find this request on my desk when I got back from my day of meetings. There was a time you couldn't wait for me to put your team back together, Gibbs. Now you want me to tear it apart again."

"It_ is_ a big change." Gibbs admitted without missing a beat.

"Change isn't what bothers me, Gibbs!" The Director argued. "It's this coming out of left field that bothers me. You never once said anything to me about making changes in Agent McGee's career. Now, all of a sudden, you want me to ship him off to go afloat? Have you forgotten we're talking about your agent who can't step foot on a dock without getting seasick?"

"Not anymore." Gibbs replied as he looked Vance straight on. "McGee's taken care of that problem."

"So, he knew about this?"

"We talked about it."

"Why?"

"Why, what?"

"Why now? Why did you talk about it with him when you never said a word to me about it?"

"It's time, Leon. McGee's career needs to move forward. This is a step in that direction."

"Oh, it's a step, alright. A big one. But, I'm not buyin' it. There something goin' on between you two?"

Gibbs kept his eyes on Vance. "Are you gonna agree to this or not, Leon?"

"Just so happens I do have a spot opening up on the USS Sea Hawk." The Director hedged.

"That a yes?"

"That's an 'I'll think about it', Gibbs." Vance bit out testily as he glared at the Team Leader. "First, let's talk about how it is Agent McGee's managed to fix the problem of his acute seasickness."

******NCIS******

Twenty minutes later found Leon Vance finally convinced the two agents in front of him hadn't lost their minds – and were actually dead serious in their request for the younger one to be reassigned off the MCRT and sent to serve afloat for the next six months. Still, something about this seemed 'off' to him. He needed answers, and his gut was telling him that the one he was looking for lay in the question they deliberately avoided answering earlier. Wanting to have all the pieces to the puzzle, he pushed for it again. "Still waitin' for the answer to my question."

"There is now." Gibbs told him quietly, answering the question he hadn't forgotten, but wasn't about to repeat or lie about.

"So, the reason you've come up with this idea is because Agent McGee needs to be moved off your team before any rules get broken." To his credit, Leon didn't even blink at this unexpected turn of events.

"Not the only reason, Leon." Gibbs spoke again, not willing for Tim to step into the firing line until Vance had gotten all of his initial disbelief and anger, if that's what it was, out of his system. He didn't want his agent taking the heat on this.

"Thought you preferred agents that were more like DiNozzo?" Vance reminded him of a long ago conversation he'd had with him.

"While you preferred the Agency's Agents be more like McGee. " Gibbs replied without bite as he clarified the statement. "People change, Leon. Nothing wrong with either one. Nothing wrong with changin' either. "

"Mmm. Alright., Consider it approved. "Agent McGee, you'll leave in two weeks. In the meantime, you move to second shift – keep your desk – while you do whatever it is you need to do to back up your files, shore up the back-up of all your case-work - I expect a completely clean hard-drive by the time you ship out." The Director offered dismissively. "And a MCRT that can electronically survive without you better than they've done in the past. I'm leaving that up to you to solve as well."

Gibbs nodded his understanding and willingness to comply as Tim verbally offered the expected. "Yes, Sir. Thank you Sir."

"Hmm. Mmm." The Director remarked. "Let's see if you're still thanking me in three months when you're still puking every day, trying to do your job with no sleep."

Tim held his smile in place. It didn't matter what the man said, he'd gotten his wish – he now had his chance for forever with Leroy without damaging either career. That was what counted. Together, the two agents silently left the man's office, both breathing a sigh of relief.

Walking away from Vance's office, Leroy pulled Tim by his sleeve back against the wall and tried to speak to what he knew must be on his lover's mind. The days before he'd learned to appreciate Tim as much as he had Tony and gotten to know him, had been back when Leroy had been admittedly more narrow minded and hadn't been as nice a person as he'd become since then.

He needed Tim to understand that he'd told Vance the truth. There was nothing wrong with Tim's ability to be an agent. He was a damned good one and nothing Gibbs said a few years ago would erase that. Still, he felt he needed to explain.

"Tim.…"

Tim shook his head as he glanced at him momentarily. "The others will be at the house soon." Without another word, the young man led the way to the elevator – and the ensuing silence as they stepped onto the box and the doors closed, and it was just the two of them alone again was so thick, Leroy was at a loss as to how to break through it.

Still, not one to give up just because the going got a little tough, Leroy tried again. "Tim."

"Leroy, there's nothing to worry about." Tim offered quietly as he looked at him without any hint of trouble. "Honest."

"Awfully quiet." Leroy worried.

"Meeting up with the firing squad tends to bring that out in me." Tim quipped with the straightest of faces as the elevator opened up and let others on.

*****NCIS*****

The ride to Gibbs' house was quiet, no words spoken between them. Never much of a talker, the silence did not bother Leroy near as much as the realization that Tim was keeping him at a distance right now. The older man sighed deeply, he hated it when these moments came up between them, but, then again, they'd worked through every one of them – and quite passionately in the end.

Reminding himself of that fact and of his faith in Tim's trust in him, the Team Leader schooled his features, put his game face back in place as he parked the car and headed inside; knowing Tim would want to come in a bit later. Still it bothered him that his lover wouldn't even look at him right now. Even worse, was the knowledge that he was having to stay out of the mix when Tim was ready to talk to the team; stand back and listen while they gave him hell.

He knew Tim could handle it, but it didn't feel good. Leroy hoped they'd get over their initial reactions and rally around their teammate in the way he deserved to be rallied around. If they didn't support his decisions – both to take the job he'd asked for and to love Leroy instead of a woman he hadn't yet found and wouldn't love him the way he deserved to be loved; then the Team Leader would be tempted to knock some heads together. But, for now, he'd have to play it by ear and let Tim handle it.

Walking in to the kitchen, he greeted his father. "Hey, Dad. Okay here by yourself all day?"

"How was your day, Son?" Jackson asked without answering the question.

The senior Gibbs' day had been fine and the peace and quiet had been great. He had discovered some interesting signs in his son's home that his boy truly was happy. This gave him comfort, combined with what he had seen of Leroy's relationship with Tim on their vacation and all day at home yesterday. The pictures of Shannon and Kelly were again hanging on the walls and the photo albums were sitting out where people could look through them.

The windows now had curtains, the fireplace had been redone and the furniture had been replaced with newer, more comfortable furniture. The only thing he hadn't seen was anything that clearly belonged to Tim. Jackson had shrugged it off as the couple just not being ready to let anyone in yet. He figured that's what tonight's dinner was for; well, that and to drop the bomb of Tim's leaving. It was gonna be a hell of a night. He was glad he had a ride back to Stillwater coming for him at eight.

"Complicated." Leroy's answer broke into the older man's musings.

"That a vest making your shirt fit too tight, Jethro?" His father asked in surprise.

"Tim's idea." Gibbs supplied as he stepped up to the coffee maker to pour himself a fresh cup. "Appreciate the coffee."

"Good for Tim and you're welcome for the coffee." His father replied with approval.

Seeing the serious look on his son's face as the younger man turned from the coffee maker with his cup filled, he couldn't stop the question from coming out. "What's wrong?"

"Team'll be here shortly."

"I know. You told me. Ducky called, too. He said he and Jimmy, is it? Will be a little late. No, wait. He said, Jimmy won't be here but he will even though he would be a little late."

"You order take out with the money I left here for you? Save the trouble of cookin'?"

"Of course not! I enjoy cooking, Jethro, you know that! Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes. "Where's Tim?"

"Probably gone for a walk."

"Oh? Why's that?" Jackson asked with concern.

"I dunno. Somethin' about havin' dinner in front of a firing squad."

*****NCIS*****

Dinner was a lively affair, with a cacophony of questions and answers with everyone happy to see Jackson and hear him tell tales of his and Gibbs' fishing on Christmas in Texas, Louisiana and all the other places they saw on their vacation.

With a well-aimed question, all conversation turned completely away from their vacation, onto the week-long experiences of the others. As Jackson's pot roast and roasted vegetable dinner was completely consumed, the team camaraderie came out in full force, with laughter and lively discussion all the way around.

While the younger four joked and talked with Jackson, Ducky and Gibbs quietly cleared away the table, silently glaring Tim into his seat when he attempted to get up and help. When the last of the dishes were cleared away, Jackson took that as his cue. Standing to his feet, he thanked them, told them he was happy to see them all and retreated to help in the kitchen.

Joining his son and his son's long-time friend in the kitchen, Jackson inadvertently found himself a silent eavesdropper in a conversation between his son and the team's Medical Examiner, on site physician, confidante and friend.

"…been friends a long time, Duck."

"Yes, Jethro. We have. And in all the years we've been friends, I've come to notice you always begin our talks with that reminder, when you have something extremely personal and troubling you wish to tell me."

"Tim's leaving."

"Our Timothy?"

Gibbs huffed out a small laugh. "Yeah."

"Whatever for?" Ducky asked in shock.

"For me."

"You're asking him to leave your team?" The complete shock the older man was feeling was written all over his face.

"Hell, no, Ducky. I'd never do that. You know me better than that. This is his call. His decision."

"Then I'm afraid I don't understand."

Gibbs dropped the dishtowel on the counter in front of him and leveled a look at his friend.

"Ah. It is for love that Timothy is making such a monumental sacrifice. I take it the two of you have come to this relationship rather suddenly?"

"C'mon, Duck. You know that wouldn't have happened. Neither one of us are talkers." Gibbs replied as he stepped over to the coffee maker and poured himself another cup – suddenly desperate for the jolt of caffeine.

"Well, I'm afraid you are right on that account. So, then this relationship developed slowly? Might I ask when it was you first realized your feelings for him had changed?"

"Not sure. Guess when I found him sittin' in the rain after the Forrest Case."

"The woman we had to rush to the hospital when we found her?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, dear. We were all rather harsh with Timothy on that case, weren't we?"

"Yeah, well, not as harsh as he was with himself. Guy was sittin' in the rain for so long, I thought I was gonna have to call you to treat him for hypothermia."

"And from there this relationship blossomed, I presume?"

"Came about real slow. He asked me to help him build his sister a Hope chest for Christmas. Took us two months to get it done. By that time…"

"The feelings had begun to grow."

"Yeah."

"Well, I for one am most happy for you, Jethro. However, I must advise you to tread carefully. Timothy has also been through quite the wringer where his heart is concerned and I do not wish to see either of you get hurt."

"Thanks Duck. I know he has and I promise I'll do my best not to hurt him."

"I know. But I do wonder if you are truly certain what you feel for him."

"I know I haven't felt like this in a very long time, Duck."

"Sounds like you are certain, after all."

"As certain as I was with Shannon." Gibbs poured himself a mug of coffee.

"But haven't been since." Ducky recollected seriously.

"Until now." Gibbs offered, looking directly at his friend. "We're both still workin' on getting comfortable with changing."

"Because you were both heterosexual until now. May I remind you, Jethro, that there is nothing wrong with change."

"Tim's not my first, Duck. Although it has been a very long time." The younger man hid behind his coffee mug as he took a long drink of the fresh brew.

"I see. Understandably, this is a much bigger change for Timothy than for you. Well in that case, I propose that I keep an eye on the both of you with a periodic dinner at my house or at least a chat over coffee."

"That'd be great, Duck. Not likely anytime soon though, since Tim's leavin'." Gibbs reminded him as he drank more of his coffee.

"Ah, yes. We've come back to Timothy's sacrifice." Ducky commented smoothly as he went on to quote something fitting.

_"If you love someone you would be willing to give up everything for them, but if they loved you back they'd never ask you to."_

Gibbs smiled softly as his friend quoted from something he'd obviously read, before finally looking at his father as he set his empty mug in the sink. "Hey, Dad, gonna stand there all day or join in? I need to go see how the team's doin'. Need to make sure they don't give Tim too much of a hard time when he tells them." He headed back to the dining room, hoping all was well.

******NCIS*******

As Tim fell silent where he sat next to Abby, he waited until they'd wound down their discussions and turned their curiosity on him – and his obvious absentia from talking about his own vacation. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the group fell silent, all turning in his direction like a pack of vultures ready to strike.

"Alright, McSecretive. Start talkin'!" Tony demanded. "We've shared all our details. Now it's your turn."

Tim looked at each one of them in turn and then looked back at Tony before he answered him. "Like I said, it was the most memorable vacation of my life."

"I recall you've never taken a vacation before, Probie." Tony sniped. "At least, not for purely fun reasons so try again."

"Okay, then. It was the most memorable experience of my entire life." Tim clarified in a calm voice.

The flood of exclamations was like a tidal wave crashing down on his ears.

"Details, Probie! Details!"

"McGee, that does not tell us anything."

"C'mon, Timmy, you can do better than that!"

Blowing out a frustrated sigh, he remained silent, letting them all get it out. He knew they would be chomping at the bit for more information than that – but he had nothing to say until they'd finished expressing their disbelief and blowing off steam.

From out of nowhere, the revelation hit Abby like a ton of bricks as she nearly exploded with the force of her announcement. "Oh, my God! You've fallen in love!" "Timmy! That's awesome! Give us details!"

"No." Tim shook his head in adamant refusal.

"What? No way, McGee! You're not denying it so it must be true. Now that we know that you've fallen in love, you know you gotta spill the details." Tony demanded.

"No."

"McGee!"

"Why not, Probie?" Tony's tone had surprisingly enough turned serious. "Afraid this one's another loser or thief or would-be assassin and we'll figure it out before you do?"

Tim shook his head. "No, Tony. That's not it. Okay. I'll tell you all about it. But first, I have something more important to tell you."

"More important? More important than you finding love? Alright, go for it. Whatever it is must be huge if it's more important than love."

Looking at each of them in turn, Tim let out a breath and just told them straight. "Tony. Abby, Ziva, I'm leaving the team."


	22. Chapter 21

_A/N: Ok, ok, here ya go... (LOL)_

* * *

><p>"What?"<p>

"No way!"

"McGee, no!"

"What the hell's goin' on, McGee?" Tony demanded.

"Is this about the new woman, McGee?" Ziva asked with much more seriousness and less volume than her outraged team mate.

"Never said it was a woman." Tim admitted quietly, his eyes glued to hers, wanting, needing her not to judge him.

"So, you _are_ gay!" Tony stage whispered louder than he should have.

"The term is 'bi-sexual' Tony, you know that." Abby snapped out, feeling too many emotions to feel comfortable right now.

"And, it's only been since May that I've been changing in that direction, Tony." Tim admitted seriously. "So, all the years of harassing me about it…"

"McGee." Ziva interrupted. "It is obvious you are happy with this person. This person – they are the reason you are leaving the team, yes?"

"Yes." Tim replied immediately, his eyes still glued to hers. _"There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction."_

"So, then it's someone in the agency." Tony joined in with Ziva's reasoning. "And don't think quoting Churchill gets you off the hook."

"No, it's more than that." Abby supplied knowingly, her eyes narrowed in anger. "You wouldn't leave the team for just anyone. In fact you wouldn't leave the team for anyone, except…."

"Me." Gibbs voice joined them from the doorway.

"Boss?"

"Gibbs?"

" GIBBS!"

It was Abby's distressed outcry that drew the Team Leader's immediate attention and as it pierced Tim's ear drums and his heart, without any words exchanged, he got up and left the room as Gibbs took a seat at the table.

Across from Gibbs, Tony made to stand up, but was stopped with a look from his boss. "Tony, let him go."

Plopping back down, the Senior Field Agent glared at his boss as anger radiated from him. "You _**lied**_ to me – to all of us. You both did! AND you broke your own RULES!"

"No one lied to you, Tony. Honesty's too important to all of us." Gibbs told him, looking at him with just enough compassion that Tony recognized it. "And no one broke any rules."

"I **_asked_** you when you got back from that trip to Atlanta an…"

"And Tim told you the truth. We weren't. It's been gradual, Tony. Very gradual. Never even went out anywhere together, unless you count grocery shoppin'."

"I don't understand, Gibbs." Abby mourned. "Timmy's…."

"Not yours, Abby. Hasn't been for quite a few years now." Her knight in shining armor reminded her. "You'll always have a special place in his heart, Abbs. But…"

"But he deserves more from a relationship than being a show piece. We all do." Ziva chimed in seriously. "Gibbs, I am sorry. I do not wish to pry or to judge, but neither do I wish to lose McGee off this team."

"I know, Ziva. I wish there was another way."

"Why isn't there?" Tony demanded, still angry but like Ziva, not willing to let his probie go without a fight.

"Because this is what I want." Tim said as he walked back in the room and sat back down at the table while he threw his hat into the conversation. "Guys, this is more than just not breaking any rules or bringing down any criticism that might ruin Gibbs' career or his name. It's gonna be hard; damned hard – being away for six months but I'm willing to do this, so that, when the day comes that Gibbs does have to retire, I'll be ready to step up in whatever capacity Tony needs me, if Vance lets me back on the team then. If he doesn't, I'll be more prepared for whatever he's got in store for me and a better agent for the experience.

"Yeah, about that, Probie. Wait! Away for six months? Do NOT tell me, you're taking a job on a ship, Probie! We all know THAT ain't gonna happen!"

"I fixed that problem, Tony. I found a few things, actually, that work to help me not get seasick. And yes, I am going Afloat. Vance has approved it. I leave in two weeks."

"Oh, God! Timmy! Six months? You expect us to live without you for six months?" Abby demanded. "And what about Jethro? I gave him to you to take care of!"

Tim smiled sadly. "A bit over-dramatic, don't you think, Abby?"

"No! You can't do this! How can you stand there and tell us that you found love – had the most memorable experience of your life – with Gibbs – and in the same breath – calmly tell us that you're leaving him for six months! You call that love? What the hell's the matter with you? Gibbs deserves so much better than that! "

His breath catching in his throat, Tim fought to hold back his biting retort, his anger, and his pain. He could feel his lover's eyes on him, trying to infuse him with love and understanding, compassion and strength like they always did for each other in tough moments like this, but this time, he couldn't do it; couldn't look into those eyes, he'd lose it for real if he did. Turning silently on his heel, he walked out of the dining room and outside, eyes clouded with tears.

*****NCIS*****

"Abby! What a horrible thing to say! " Ziva admonished the Lab Rat angrily.

"What? It's true, isn't it? If he did really love Gibbs, then he wouldn't be leaving him like this." Abby declared, her arms crossing in front of her chest defensively. "And he never answered me about Jethro, either! Who's gonna take care of him? Why would McGee do this?"

Tony watched Gibbs from across the table as the older man swallowed hard, blinked hard, swallowed hard again and finally looked up – at Tony. "It's tearing him up inside. But, he'd rather do this then let me retire now." The Team Leader told his Senior Field Agent.

"You gave him the choice." The man's Senior Field Agent surmised quietly, respecting and appreciating the fact that the boss was talking straight to him.

Gibbs shook his head. "I reminded him that the option's there. He refuses to even consider it. Says the Agency needs me."

"He's right." Tony admitted, his eyes locked on those of the man he'd dedicated his last eleven years of his life to working for; looked up to above anyone else and understood the mountain of unspoken hurts and pain and even the loneliness from a lifetime spent alone in that loss he'd seen in the man's eyes over the years. "So, this is the real deal then."

_"We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly."_ Gibbs recited from memory as his eyes remained locked on his, needing him to try and understand and accept what he was being told.

"You are quoting Sam Keen." Ziva stated with mild surprise. "It does look and sound as though this is 'the real deal' as Tony has said."

"Yeah. Not since Shannon…" Gibbs dropped his sentence as he grabbed at the nearest glass of ice water and downed half of it before setting it back down on the table.

"Wow." Tony said almost reverently into the silence. "Never saw this comin'."

"None of us did, Tony." Ziva reminded him quietly. "But, I for one am very happy for both of them. They have both had much more pain and heartache than any one person deserves. It is wonderful that they have welcomed change and found each other. They have obviously built something quite special together and as their friends and people who love them both, we should support them completely. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go find my friend, who obviously is hurting very much over this upcoming separation and most likely needs a friend to lean on."

"Thank you, Ziva." Gibbs offered as he stood up with her, kissing her on the cheek.

Surprisingly enough, she stood next to him for a moment, speaking softly to him. "I support you both; however, I will not be happy if one of you hurts the other. You are both very important to me, Gibbs. I do not wish to see either of you hurt."

He smiled softly at her. "That makes three of us, Ziver."

She nodded and headed outside, leaving her friends to work through this with the Team Leader on their own, hoping they'd be the solid people she trusted them to be and not hurt him the way Abby had so thoughtlessly just hurt Tim.

*****NCIS*****

Tim found himself at a nearby park close to Leroy's house and sat down on a bench. Wiping at his eyes, he worked to put his emotions back into their proper place and calm himself down. Abby's words had stung; but the real pain had come from the renewed visualization of six months without Leroy. Six months of worrying whether or not the older man would still want this future with Tim; the change in orientation in his personal relationship was, after all very new.

Would Leroy still want him in six months when he wasn't actively there for him and with him in that time or would he find it more comfortable and comforting to go back to being with a woman? Tim knew he was thinking crazy thoughts; that his emotions had him worrying about lots of things he wouldn't ordinarily worry about, but he couldn't seem to help it.

"Hello, Timothy."

"Ducky!" Tim was pulled from his worries with the surprise appearance of the beloved M.E.

"If I might say so, you look as though you could use a friend. Mind if I sit?"

"Thanks." Tim smiled as he gestured toward the empty place on the bench. "Please,"

"I understand from Jethro that the two of you have become very close. In fact, he has shared with me that he hasn't felt like this since he lost his beloved wife." Ducky opened the conversation while he got comfortable on the bench next to the younger man.

"Wow. He told you that?" Tim didn't know what to say. Knowing Leroy shared how he felt about Tim with the man he'd been friends with for over ten years, warmed Tim's heart. He was grateful that Ducky had remained someone Leroy could confide in, about anything.

"Oh, yes. You see, he is quite happy with you, Timothy. He cares for you, obviously, very much and wanted me to be aware of it, to help look out for both of your well-beings. Which, I might add, I have every intention of doing regardless, of course, as i care deeply about both of you."

"Thanks, Ducky."

"So, tell me, young man, how do you feel about all this?"

"_This_ being Gibbs? Or me leaving the team so we can have a future together when I get back?"

"Ah, yes. That's right. Timothy, this is quite a drastic change. Are you ready for yet another change of such magnitude in your life?" Ducky probed kindly, worried about Tim's emotional journey through all these changes.

"Finding out I could love Gibbs in a relationship, being the first change? Yeah, Ducky. I am. If it means I get to keep him forever, I'm ready." Tim's eyes gave evidence of the intensity of that devotion he felt down deep for the man they spoke of.

"Well, I suppose that answers my first question. It is quite obvious you do love him, although it has always been obvious that you care for him a great deal. Nothing says love like sacrifice, Timothy. I do wish you well. Be sure and stay in touch, won't you?" The M.E. asked as he stood in preparation for leaving.

"Sure. And thank you, Ducky. This means a lot to me. You'll take care of him for me while I'm gone, right?"

"Rest assured, Timothy. No one will let anything happen to Jethro while you are gone. Now, I'm afraid I must take my leave, as I have pressing things to attend to."

"Thanks for the support, Ducky. And I appreciate that you'll look out for him while I'm gone. But, make sure you take care of yourself, too, alright?"

"Oh, most definitely, dear boy. Don't you worry on that score. Good night, Timothy."

"Night, Ducky."

"Ducky is right." Ziva's voice at his elbow startled Tim. Whipping around, he found her standing just a foot behind the bench.

_Hmm. Sly ole' fox must have known Ziva was there and left so she could talk to him_. "Hi." He greeted her quietly.

"Are you alright?" She asked as she sat down next to him, taking one of his hands in hers to both comfort him and warm both their hands.

"As alright as I can be, I suppose." He answered her honestly.

"It is hard to walk away from the comfort and security of being with the one you love. Especially to go do a job you are unfamiliar with for six months." She sympathized, having been through it herself more times than she could count, given her former line of work. "And in an environment you've been unable to withstand without being intensely ill, until now."

"Love him more than my own life, Ziva." Tim admitted quietly. "I'd quit and move to Mexico with him if it came down to it."

"But you are scared."

"To death."

"Of what, Tim?" She probed gently.

"Of losing him. Of him changing his mind while I'm gone. No one enjoys being lonely, ya know?" Tim looked down at his lap.

"About you?"

"About me – not because of me but because I'm …"

"Ah, I see. And you are worried that he will become so lonely that he will change his mind about being happy and in love with you – a man – and actively rethink that decision and pursue a woman to get involved with as he has in the years before."

Tim huffed out a short laugh. "God, when you put it like that, it's a terrible thing to consider him capable of."

"Exactly. So, now you know you are letting your insecurities get the better of you and it is time for you to stop that."

"Thanks, Ziva."

"You are welcome. Shall I tell you what he said to us once you left the room?"

"Think it would help?" Tim asked hopefully.

"That is why I am offering to tell you."

"Okay. Then please tell me?"

"Gladly. He spoke directly to Tony as he said this, as if he needed Tony to understand it more than most. His words were, _"Not since Shannon."_

Tim blinked. He was blown away that Leroy would have admitted something so personal to the team. He'd never spoken of Shannon in all the years they'd worked for him, until the shipboard explosion. And when he had begun speaking of her after his return from Mexico, it had only been on rare occasions and in passing. Now he was willingly admitting to those closest to them both, that Tim… he couldn't fathom the depth Leroy was speaking from because he didn't feel worthy of it, but he could relate to it, because it was how much Leroy meant to him.

Ziva was right. His insecurities had almost beaten him, but Leroy's love was stronger and his own love for Leroy was tougher than nails. Together, they could overcome anything; including six months apart. Smiling, he stood up, still holding her hand. "Thanks, Ziva."

Ziva patted Tim tenderly on the cheek and looked him in the eye as she said what she needed him to hear from her own heart. "I am very glad that you and Gibbs are happy and I will be very unhappy if you leave any earlier than you have to.

"I'm not leaving early, but I'm already off the team, Ziva. I'll be working second shift – backing up all of your files- all of our case files since the last time we did a full systems clean-up."

"I had hoped not to have to lose you from the team so quickly or at all, but it would seem…"

"Thanks, Ziva. But I'd rather do it this way than risk any mud-slinging. Gibbs doesn't deserve it. He's had a hard enough life and he's worked too damned hard for the Agency to have to put up with any problems over our relationship."

"The response of an honorable man." Ziva smiled encouragingly at him.

Tim smiled in appreciation.

"You are ready to go back now, yes?"

Ziva stayed close as Tim nodded at her, his face still alight with renewed happiness. "Oh, yeah!"

"Good! Then what are we waiting for?"

*****NCIS*****

As they walked back to the house, hearing voices in the backyard, headed in that direction. Tim's eyes lit up at the sight of Leroy. Tony noticed it from across the yard and headed over to meet him.

"Hey, we're cool. It's a tough thing to wrap my head around, but the man is in love with you, Probie. Don't screw it up and don't you dare hurt him. See you at the office before you ship out, man." Tony slapped him on the arm and headed back inside the house. Stopping in mid-stride- Tony turned around and came back. "It was _you!_" He said to Tim almost accusingly.

"What was me, Tony?' Tim asked in genuine confusion.

"The one who got Vance to give us the week off for Christmas!" The Senior Field Agent's eyes danced with merriment at the thought of having solved the puzzle of the decade.

Tim huffed out a small laugh as he shook his head. "My lips are sealed." He replied as he tried to slide his straight face back on.

"Yeah. Okay. I get it. That's your story and you're sticking to it, right?" The older man teased.

"Exactly."

"Yeah, alright. Just realize that I know what I know, Probie."

"Goodnight, Tony." Tim reiterated to make his point.

"Night. Don't forget what I said, Tim. Don't hurt him." Tony headed out, this time, disappearing from sight as the sound of his car door closing and his car engine roaring to life filled the air.

Ziva let go of his hand. "I too, need to go. Just remember, McGee. I am here. For both of you. AND I agree with Tony. Do not hurt him. However, I also have warned Gibbs as well. Neither of you deserves to be hurt."

"Thanks, Ziva." Tim kissed her cheek and watched her approach Gibbs, speak to him for a minute, kiss him on the cheek and turn and walk toward the house, going inside to say her goodbyes to Jackson and Ducky.

Gibbs looked up and smiled softly at Tim before sliding over on the picnic table bench to make room for him. Sitting down across from Abby, Tim silently looked at the woman he once loved with all his heart until she'd broken it once too often. Her eyes were puffy and red, her mascara in smears and her expression heartbroken. "Something happen?" He asked worriedly.

"I need to go." She mumbled as she slid from the bench and practically ran from the yard, back inside the house.

Turning to his lover, Tim asked him with genuine concern. "Are you alright?"

Leroy swallowed around the lump in his throat and looked back at the young man, "Yeah."

Tim nodded and drank from the water glass in front of him. Setting it down, he slowly turned the stem in his fingers.

"How 'bout you? " Leroy asked with his own concern.

Tim lightly scoffed as he looked up at the man he loved and smiled as he answered

"The firing squad bailed; I'm still standing and I still have you. I'm definitely alright."


	23. Chapter 22

_Okay, the kids are gone now - turn the fans back on quick!_

_better yet...turn them on high!_

* * *

><p>The house was empty, Jackson, Ducky and the team all gone home, and the rain falling heavily as Tim and Leroy ran inside, shivering and wet, quickly stripping out of their wet clothes and wrapped blankets around themselves before settling down in front of the couch where they could sit with their feet on the hearth and feel the heat of the already roaring fire. As the warmth from the glorious blaze warmed him, Tim's eyes closed and he snuggled further into his lover's arms.<p>

Knowing his father was safely home by now, Leroy smiled with complete satisfaction. His team now knew what they needed to know and Tim had gotten the career change he wanted for their future. He grinned at the make-shift bed next to them that Tim had set up earlier after the team had gone home. The younger man's penchant for all things romantic was one of the things Leroy loved about him.

Maneuvering them over to it, he got comfortably settled before tugging Tim down beside him; gravity easily bringing his nearly completely asleep lover down next to him.

Wrapping his arms around him, Leroy held him silently, letting sleep take him away completely since it had been a very difficult day for him. The conversation they'd had just a little while ago, burned into the older man's mind.

_An hour ago_.

"That went well." Tim commented as the door closed behind Ducky; the last of the group to leave.

"Could have gone worse." Gibbs reminded him as he reached for him, needing to hold him close after going the whole day without being able to. "Listen, Tim. Wanna talk to ya about what was said in Vance's office earlier."

Tim turned and looked him straight on. "You already tried to explain that. From where I'm standing, you've got nothing to apologize for. It's like you said - people change. Why do you think it took us so long to find what we have, Leroy? It took time for us to find what we liked in each other - what we could connect with. There's no need to apologize for that. That would be like saying all that time we spent together just getting to know one another wasn't important. But, we wouldn't have what we have together now without it. We both know that."

_Present Time_

The log falling further into the fire disrupted his thoughts, bringing Leroy back to the present as he immediately looked at his lover to make sure he was still sleeping. Even as he adjusted his hold on him, Tim snuggled closer, murmuring in his sleep. "Love you, Leroy al...ys."

Leroy's heart swelled at his lover's words and intimate snuggling, his soul finding peace after an emotionally tough day. Settling his breathing, he wrapped Tim up more securely in his arms and closed his own eyes, finally let sleep take him away.

*****NCIS*****

The tapping of a tree branch on the window pane woke Gibbs around midnight and he got up and quickly stoked the fire before laying back down and pulling a still sleeping Tim closer as the now bright moon cast an alluring light into the room, causing his heart to miss a beat when he looked at the man he'd come to love with a deeper love than he thought he'd ever find a second time.

Almost absently, his fingers carded Tim's hair back from his ear, until unexpectedly, the younger man stirred in his sleep, burrowing even closer still to the man he'd made no bones about loving and trusting with his whole heart.

_His whole heart._ That thought; that daunting realization hit Leroy deep in his own heart – a wave of awe so wide, it literally took his breath away. It was just as he'd already admitted to the people closest to them- not since Shannon had he known such love – felt it – been on the receiving end of it. It humbled him, here in the darkness.

A gentle finger reached up and wiped away the tear Leroy hadn't realized he'd shed and gentle lips kissed the place the tear had been.

"Talk to me." Tim coaxed soothingly, his sleep-laden voice full of concern.

Looking through the moonlit room into those deep beautiful green shining orbs, Leroy smiled. "Haven't felt like this in a very long time, Tim." He admitted quietly, as a shudder coursed through him. He knew his intuitive and sensitive lover would understand exactly what it was he was trying to say.

Again, Tim smiled softly as his heart grew bigger for this man who already filled all the available space there was. He knew Leroy had known a forever kind of love with Shannon; had grieved for her for so long and so deeply that no other relationship had come close to giving him what he needed to fill that painfully aching void. They all knew that. It humbled Tim to know that he was the one who filled that hole in this beautiful man's life.

Without words, Tim opened his arms, silently inviting his lover to choose, knowing the man's barriers had crumbled and that he trusted Tim to hold his heart safe as he allowed himself to become accustomed to accepting Tim's love – through physical touch – as easily as he already accepted it in everything else Tim did for him.

Laying wrapped in Tim's arms, Leroy found himself so overloaded with his own mix of love, appreciation, awakening lust and the ever-present hunger for his lover, that he couldn't even calm his breathing enough to find sleep. Warm, smooth, strong, yet still gentle hands began running calming stokes up and down his back but it was to no avail. He was too keyed up. He wanted Tim now; needed him; needed to be completely surrounded by him, buried inside so completely, they were one.

Tim sensed his lover's need, could feel it in the older man's restlessness and hear it in his breathing. He understood it completely. Not only that, Tim wanted the same thing; to be one with him, completely wrapped up in him, joined with him, connected. In fact, he wanted it so badly, he could barely hold himself back while he tried soothing Leroy's restlessness. It wasn't working because it was more than restlessness; it was a hunger that needed to be fed.

Still not breaking the poignant silence between them, Tim took one hand and drew it down Leroy's cheek as his lips touched the older man's gently with a tenderness that spoke of love and attraction, invitation and promise. As Leroy accepted the invitation just as tenderly, his own kiss speaking of pent up emotion, pouring themselves into this moment, every touch, he, in turn asserted himself into the kiss just enough that his lover would know it was now a dance of their mouths to be shared and cherished.

Driven by the overwhelming love and pure desire for this beautiful man now inviting his tongue to dance with his, Tim's passion flared hot and full. Still the tenderness remained as he shackled the recklessness within him and gently and slowly withdrew from the kiss to begin blazing a heated trail of kisses along Leroy's jaw line and on down his throat, his hands following in his mouth's path, stirring the embers of the fire already started between them.

As Tim's lips found his lover's nipple and gently lapped at it before sucking it inside his mouth to suckle it, his hands gently continued to blaze heated trails across the man's upper body everywhere they could reach.

Leroy gasped for air as his hands fisted into the blanket, his eyes glued to his lover while intense pleasure radiated though him in a wave. Vaguely the thought crossed his mind that he should be used to this by now since Tim showered him with pleasure like this every chance he got. Still every time felt new, enthralling and special and _oh, dear God, this was heaven!_

Swallowing Leroy's cock whole, Tim felt his lover's body tighten like a bow ready to snap. As Leroy reached for him, needing to touch him, his cock moving, in and out of Tim's mouth, until a rhythm was set, that soon had Leroy panting as his body tightened in preparation for flight.

Tim pulled away and slid up his lover's body, this time straddling him as he slid until once again, their mouths connected, this time, while his hands found the older man's hands and intertwined their fingers, holding Leroy's tight. The connection lasted only a minute before the younger man was again slipping away. As Leroy lay panting for air, his hands returning to the blanket, grabbing them up in his fist as the wave of plesausre carried him along. He never heard the drawer open or the cap of the lube snap open.

Needing to see his lover's eyes, Tim caressed the older man's face again, knowing he'd look at him when he did. Sure enough, Leroy's eyes opened up and were soon captured in the magnetic pull of Tim's beautiful green oceans of bottomless love, trust and hunger.

The older man felt the air leave his lungs in a gasp when a shock wave rolled through him as his lover lowered himself down onto his painfully hardened throbbing cock, taking him in, every inch of the way until Leroy had bottomed out.

"Tim!" Leroy moaned as the feeling of absolute ecstasy flooded his veins in that priceless moment that was indescribable. The matching look in Tim's eyes as they locked onto his, their hands reaching for each other as the younger man rode his lover, further and further toward the heaven they both sought; needed, nearly did Leroy in.

With every ounce of what he felt for this man, Tim let his body; a hungry vessel wanting to be filled, make sweet love to Leroy's cock. as the older man's eyes stayed on his lover's, too lost for words to even moan again.

As his orgasm approached with lightning speed, from the depths from which it had been building, Leroy's body quaked and his hands found Tim's hips. With a mighty heave, he surged upright and flipped them so Tim was flat on his back, without dislodging him and was soon driving into his lover with an abandon that came from raw hunger yet unquenched. "So, good, Tim! So good!" Leroy groaned as he drew the younger man's hard, throbbing cock into his hand, roughly running up and down its' length and across the tip as he relentlessly drove them on.

Mindlessly caught up in the wave of ecstasy that swept him away with his orgasm, Leroy threw his head back and uttered a guttural cry as it took him over, casting him out into the stars, as everything turned white around him.

*****NCIS*****

Completely exhausted and equally riding a euphoric high that had him keyed up, Tim sighed deeply as he and Leroy held each other in the still moments of their recovery. His lover's orgasm had been so powerful, just watching him ride the wave of ecstasy as it took him, feeling the heat of the raging fire blazing between them had swept Tim away in it too. Together they exploded into the stars, holding on to each other through the aftershocks. There were never any words that could ever adequately describe what these moments meant to him.

Holding Leroy as he finally slept, Tim smiled all the way to his soul as sleep snuck in and stole him away.


	24. Chapter 23

_A/N: Very, Very hot in here!_

* * *

><p><em>Two Weeks Later<em>

Tim's last two weeks in D.C. had flown by in a whirl of sleep-filled mornings, work-filled afternoons on into early evenings and passion-filled late nights. Still, the young man hadn't complained. What precious little time he had left with Leroy had been just that, precious and little. He'd put all his effort he had into everything he had left to accomplish from packing up his apartment to telling Penny and Sarah of his career move and relationship with Leroy.

As Tim had hoped, the two women were happy for him, although saddened to see him leave for 6 months. They had joined Tim and Leroy for dinner the weekend they returned from their trip and spent several hours regaling the two men with stories of their adventures. To know without a shadow of a doubt that everyone they loved and cared about supported their relationship, meant the world to both men. Tim counted Abby in that support because he knew she'd come around. It made the upcoming separation that much more bearable and eased Tim's mind about the support Leroy would have while he was gone.

The team had stepped in, helping with every spare minute they had: helping him pack his apartment and then clean it once it was empty, making him a list of what was actually necessary to survive six months on a carrier, and requesting to be taken off rotation for the two weeks Tim had left. It was Tony who'd pled their case, claiming the need to not only get used to not having Tim on their team; but also the need to find and help fit the new person in.

Surprisingly enough, Vance had cooperated, although he hadn't missed the opportunity to comment that they'd better be more than prepared to stay busy once the two weeks was up and that they'd better be on top of their game. Jimmy had let that cat out of the bag when he'd stopped by Tim's desk at work on his way home one night. For the rest of that night, Tim had found it hard to concentrate as he took stock of just how much his teammates meant to him; how much he obviously meant to them.

Tim had been relieved. It was great to have their support and to be able to spend the time with them now that he was no longer on the team. But it had been the late nights with Leroy that helped Tim keep going after having practically passed him down at sign-in every night. It had been tough signing in for eight hours when Leroy was signing out, both careful not to so much as tease each other with a sighting of each other in the work place. Every night he'd been grateful the team wasn't working late – not only because it had made it easier to concentrate on work – but also because it had meant Leroy was home getting his sleep while he waited for Tim to get home.

Abby had finally come around, apologizing to both men, begging forgiveness and asking if she could make it up to them by throwing him a going away party. Gibbs eyebrows had gone to his hairline and Tim had laughed so hard he nearly fell out onto the floor. With his realization still fresh in his mind from that night he'd spoken to Jimmy, the young man had told her to plan to her heart's content so long as no one was asked to do anything that would get them in trouble and that nothing would be done to throw Leroy into the spotlight at the party.

With only two days left until Tim's departure, his going-away party was all that was left to get through beyond the horribly difficult good-byes up ahead - and it was a huge success.

******NCIS******

Tim dragged himself through the door, barely making it to the couch as Leroy helped lower him down to it. Coming from the pain-filled goodbyes at NCIS, the younger man felt completely drained and it showed. Leroy felt for him and silently sat down beside him. Instantly, Tim laid his head on his lover's shoulder, a shudder running up and down his spine. Closing his eyes, he let sleep take him away as the warmth of the blanket his lover was laying over him first touched his skin.

Leroy laid his head gently on top of Tim's, closing his eyes to doze. It was barely one in the afternoon and the morning had completely drained them both. It had been hard to stand clear of Tim as he made his rounds at work, answering last minute questions about computer work, promising to stay in touch, garnering promises of others to stay in touch with him. But the hardest part had been the public goodbyes between Tim and the team.

Thinking back on all of this, yet trying to think ahead to the time when Tim would be home again, Leroy's mind finally shut down as his eyes closed and his breathing evened out as together they rested.

*****NCIS******

Tim woke to the feeling that something wasn't quite right. Looking around, he realized he was alone on the couch. Sitting up, he stretched and stood before glancing outside to make sure Leroy wasn't sitting out there. Walking into the kitchen, he had to smile at the sight of his lover standing at the stove, stirring what looked like a pot of stew.

As he took himself over to the coffee maker and fixed himself a cup of coffee, he finally found his voice. "Hey."

"Hey. Sleep okay?" Leroy asked him, smiling affectionately at Tim's sleep tousled look.

"Guess that depends on what time it is." Tim joked with a smile that gave him that 'drop-dead gorgeous' look.

Smiling back at him, Leroy answered the question he'd indirectly asked. "Three."

Seeing his lover smile like that, completely content and at ease, had Tim's breath catching in his throat. _The man truly was gorgeous!_ Setting his coffee cup down, he eased over to the stove and turned the burner off, gently taking the long handled spoon from the older man's hand and setting it back down in the pan. With an open hand, he traced the man's hair down the side of his face, slipping a finger across that luscious mouth and just inside, inviting his lover to suck on it.

The pull of Leroy's mouth on his finger, flared Tim's lust for the older man, as it stirred the fire's embers already heating up within. When his lover captured his hand and took the rest of his fingers into his mouth one at a time and suckled them before giving them back, Tim felt his knees go weak. Leroy's hand now caressed Tim's face, the gentle motion stirring Tim's heart. Turning his head, he too, suckled each of his lover's fingers in turn, giving them back as he kept his eyes locked on Leroy's.

With just the unspoken connection between them as their eyes remained on each other, their clothes found their way off their bodies onto the floor and soon together, they stood gloriously naked in Leroy's kitchen, both of them already hardened, throbbing and barely holding on to their self-restraint as if frozen in time.

That frozen moment lasted only a second before Tim stepped into his lover's space, ravishing his mouth as his hands roughly traveled everywhere they could. Suddenly, the tenderness was gone and in its' place was a wanton, desperation that quickly surged out of control. Dropping to the floor at the older man's feet, uncaring how hard it affected his knees, Tim swallowed Leroy whole, knocking the breath from the older man's body.

With the hunger of a starving man, Tim made love to his lover's muscle, milking it relentlessly as his hands roved around to the older man's behind, squeezing both trim, rounded globes and pulling him closer and even letting his fingers find their way to his entrance, as they traced and touched him there.

Tim's touch was so desperate and relentless, his attention to the older man's cock so strong and firm, Leroy nearly came the first time Tim touched his entrance. "TIM!" he shouted as he knees nearly gave out

Almost instantly, Tim was sliding back up into Leroy's space, his hands were still sending sparks through his lover's skin everywhere they touched, it was the young man's voice in his ear, thick with need and hunger that nearly was the older man's undoing though, as their eyes remained locked together in hunger's mighty wave.

"Take me, Leroy! Right here! Right now! Please!"

Wrapping one hand around the back of Tim's head, Leroy pulled him closer, molding the young man's mouth with his own, harsh and strong, as their tongues tangled and his free hand met and meshed with the young man's on his lover's cock, stroke for stroke, until Tim was writhing in his arms, pushing his throbbing, swollen member into Leroy's hand, desperate for the feel of his lover wrapped around him.

Pulling away, Leroy lowered himself to his knees on the floor in front of Tim, swallowing him whole, his mouth the perfect vacuum with warmth and suction, relentless and fast.

"NNGGGGHHHH!" Tim shouted as he came hard and fast, his body quaking through the rush.

Knowing where Tim's desperation came from, it was impossible for Leroy not to lose his own grip on that edge – his own orgasm ripping from him as Tim limply stood in front of him, hands on his head for balance.

*****NCIS*****

Languorously luxuriating in the large tub in Leroy's master bath, they lay back in the water, soaking up the unspoken emotion that filled the silence surrounding them. Every single moment of this last afternoon together, once they'd gotten home and rested, had been spent in each other's arms and neither of them wanted it any other way.

Neither of them wanted to voice the fact that this continuous connection - without being tougher on themselves and putting some space between them and getting used to it – would make it that much harder to endure the separation. No, all they both wanted, was to stay physically connected for as long as possible.

Tim stirred as he lay against Leroy's chest, his behind nestled in the v of the older man's legs, which meant his behind was cradling the older man's rising cock. Still wishing he could feel his lover's tight channel squeeze his own cock for all it was worth, Tim squirmed at the visual his mind gave him at the thought; the feeling of Leroy's love muscle growing and dancing, beginning to send tingling sensations up his spine.

As his lips began nibbling and kissing on Tim's throat, Leroy's hands wrapped themselves around Tim's cock, loving it in gentle tugs and sweeps with squeezing fingers. Lying back against his chest, Tim tipped his head back and looked to his lover, mouth open for more air as he struggled to breathe through the rising pleasure beginning to take over his body.

Swallowing Tim's lips in a kiss, Leroy's free arm caressed his cheek, drawing his face up closer to his as he quietly offered him something he'd meant to give him weeks ago. "Make love to me, Tim."

Taking the young man's hand he wrapped it around Tim's cock as he made sure his lover knew what he was asking for. "Completely."

With his heart in his throat, Tim nodded even as he held his mouth out for one more kiss. Releasing Tim's luscious lips from his own, Leroy reached around him and pulled the plug from the tub.

Barely pausing to grab towels, they stumbled from the bathroom to the bed. Leroy pulled Tim down on top of him as they continued their endless kiss – that continuous connection both craved. Finally, with a deep breath, Tim pulled back and sensually slid down the older man's body, kissing and caressing him everywhere as he moved, the connection unbroken as the sparks continued to ignite between them.

Taking a brief minute to make love to the irresistible thickening muscle, Tim took him in his mouth and worked him just enough that the older man began to squirm. Releasing his lover's cock, he sat up and knelt between Leroy's legs.

Reaching out, he grasped the older man's hand when it met his half way. Their fingers entwined together as they held each other's gazes, Tim quietly asked. "You're sure?"

He couldn't miss the spark of desire that flared in those cobalt orbs, as he saw the truth there as well as the trust as Leroy nodded, his body tensing up in readiness for the new experience he wanted more than anything right now. "Need to feel you inside me. Want us to have that."

Without another word, Tim leaned forward and kissed his lover with the tenderness and love his heart was full of at this moment. As he gently withdrew from the kiss, he spoke quietly with an air of reverence. "I can't tell you how much this means to me; to know that I'm going to be your first, just as you were mine. I'll treasure this forever, Leroy."

"Me, too, Tim." His lover replied in the same quiet tone, his hand reaching out to trail down Tim's cheek.

"You've taught me so much, I'm gonna make it so good for you." Tim vowed seriously.

Kissing the older man once more, he reached for the lube, and then sat back on his haunches. Tenderly he massaged Leroy's inner thighs, deliberately trailing his fingers just far enough toward his lover's groin that the older man spread them a bit further, obviously hungry for more.

Tim moved his ministrations further south as he gently cupped him and then held the thickening, pulsing rod briefly before his fingers trailed up and down on it, giving equal time to his balls and the tender area behind. With one lubed finger, he swirled around Leroy's entrance, letting the older man get used to his touch there.

As Leroy relaxed, Tim continued massaging him all over that sensitive area for a few minutes while fondling Leroy's sac and still rising cock, eliciting groans of pleasure from his lover. Taking his time, he inserted one finger and paused to let the man adjust to the breach. Waiting until his lover moved back on his finger, in search of more, Tim continued his play with his other hand; he moved his encased finger farther into Leroy, waited once again until the man pushed back in a show of readiness, then began a gentle in and out motion, making sure he hit his prostrate; smiling with pleasure and happiness when Leroy let out a strangled shout of surprise and pleasure.

It wasn't long before Leroy moved restlessly against Tim's finger again, wanting more, giving Tim the sense that his lover was ready for a second and then third finger, as they joined the first, in turn. With each addition, Tim made sure his man was not only comfortable, but ready for more as well before resuming his ministrations.

The young man's heart leaped for joy seeing that Leroy was quite obviously feeling much more pleasure than discomfort, as his thickening, pulsing cock gave testament to. More than that was the look of pleasure on his lover's face and the realization that he'd not once uttered a single word of complaint or need for Tim to stop.

Leaning down over his lover, Tim kissed him open mouthed, probing with his tongue, seeking, searching and taking, giving the man a taste of what was to come. The wave of passion between them rose higher still, as groans were pulled from both of them, their heightened degree of hunger turned so high, they both struggled to hold themselves back, keep things slow and sensual.

Kissing him once more, Tim lubed up his own cock, then wrapped his free hand around Leroy's, looked him in the eye for visual confirmation. As his lover's darkened, lust filled eyes rocked him to the core and the man nodded at him, Tim lined himself up with his lover's entrance and pushed his rock-hard cock just inside Leroy's entrance and stopped, waiting until he felt his lover's body pull him in for more. With his free hand, he rubbed sensuous trails on Leroy's weeping cock and tightening sac to help him relax.

"More, Tim." Leroy groaned as his lower body shifted restlessly, "Fill me."

Reaching out his free hand to connect with Leroy's once more, Tim smiled with absolute love and adoration as he did just that; taking his time to fill that oh, so tight warm channel, stroke after mind-blowingly pleasurable stroke, as he made love to his lover with every pore of his being; sliding in a little easier now, eliciting groans of pleasure from Leroy.

The older man's sphincter muscles suddenly rippled in spasms, massaging Tim's cock, and it was Tim's turn to gasp in pure pleasure. When Leroy's legs raised up and rested themselves on Tim's shoulders, the younger man thought he'd come right then and there, the intense wave of pleasure that rolled him was so warm and filling. "Oh, Leroy!" he couldn't help but moan. "Oh, God, you feel so good!"

Leroy's hands fisted in the blanket, his head rolling restlessly as he felt the build-up crashing through him, heralding one hell of an orgasm with every agonizingly pleasurable stroke of Tim's cock inside his body. "Cum with me, Tim!" his desperate shout tore through the room, bouncing off the walls and going straight to both their already super-charged cocks straining to reach that release.

"Oh, God, Leroy!" Tim cried out as he plunged his own cock harder and faster into his lover's welcoming channel that felt oh, so good!, Heads thrown back and ecstatic cries of release filling the air as their bodies tensed and their cocks exploded in unison, as together they soared to new heights.


	25. Chapter 24

_A/N: Alas, our last piece of the journey together - for now.  
>Ahem. Bring...a fan ...oh and a tissue or two<em>

* * *

><p>Cleaned up and resting after one of the most beautiful experiences of his life, Tim had to smile as Leroy's mouth nuzzled his neck and his hands began another tantalizing trail of simmering heat across his chest, stopping at his nipple to play. Even as his lover showered him with tenderness and pleasure, his mind wandered back to that moment in the kitchen when he'd lost control, let his lust overrule tenderness and begged to be taken right then and there.<p>

He remembered wanting to drop down onto the table and open himself to his lover right then. But, he also remembered that instead of taking him in that moment of Tim's desperation, Leroy had helped him by sucking him off with a power and quickness that had stolen the younger man's breath away. It was as if Leroy hadn't wanted them to make love the way Tim had begged him for.

"Hey" Leroy's concerned voice sounded gently in his ear. "You okay?"

"Mmmm." Tim murmured as he turned his face to his lover's. "Just thinking back to the kitchen."

Leroy looked at him for a silent minute, trying to read what Tim was really thinking about from that explosive scene "You're wondering why I didn't take you like that when that wave of desperation roared through your veins."

"Yeah." Tim admitted as his own fingers idly began stroking the older man's arms where they held him.

"Didn't want you to have reason to regret any moment we have, Tim." His lover explained. "Desperation isn't something you're comfortable with. I saw it in your eyes."

"Thank you." Tim whispered. "For saving me from my own stupidity."

"Not stupid, Tim." Leroy corrected him compassionately as he trailed his finger lovingly down the younger man's cheek. "You're human and male. That wave hits us all at some point. Might still. But until we're sure we both wanna go there when it does…"

"I do." Tim answered back immediately. "I want you to be able to be comfortable enough with me that it's not something you have to worry about. We can just let it come and go with it. I wanted to drop down on the table and let you have me as hard and fast as you could."

Leroy smiled softly at Tim's admission. "Took everything I had not to lay you out on that table and ride hard with you until we both flew, Tim."

Tim squirmed just thinking about it as his cock took an interest in things. "God, just thinking about it…"

"C'mon." Leroy urged as he tugged on Tim's hand and pulled him up out of bed.

In their naked glory, they left the bedroom and headed to the kitchen. Leroy needed coffee and he knew Tim needed a bit of recklessness added to their lovemaking. Truth be told, Leroy couldn't wait to help the younger man shed his inhibitions completely. He'd been unhappy to see that Tim wasn't comfortable with what he'd been feeling earlier.

Together, they could be themselves. There wasn't any reason for Tim not to let go completely and before the day got any later, Leroy would show him that about their relationship. Having let go of his own inhibitions by letting Tim make love to him earlier had set Leroy free. It was time to do the same for his lover.

Tim stood motionless behind him as Leroy got the coffee brewing. Since coming home earlier in the day, he hadn't had the time to pre-set it and now he'd have to wait for it. Glancing over his shoulder, he found the young man staring almost forlornly at the table. With a quiet huff of laughter, Leroy stepped up behind him, his hands hungrily exploring his lover's derriere with sweeping caresses and erotic squeezes. "Still wantin' me to take you like that?"

Tim shuddered in lust as Leroy's hands began to make love to his backside. "Yeah." He groaned as he leaned back into his lover's strong chest, pushing further into the man's loving hands. "God, Leroy, it's like a new high I have to reach. Something else I haven't given you."

Leroy turned Tim in his arms and chucked his chin up gently with his finger. "Don't do this. There is nothing you can give me that could possibly mean more to me than what you've already given me! What we already have together."

Tim smiled in both appreciation and hunger. Breathing in his lover's scent and letting it invade his senses quietly for a long minute, he blinked and looked back at his lover. "I still want it." The hunger beginning to darken his eyes.

Gibbs smirked as he kissed him teasingly to add fuel to the fire he saw in those eyes. "Me too."

*****NCIS******

"Oh, God! Leroy, YES!" Tim moaned as his lover pounded into him countless minutes later, his legs spread wide as he gripped the edge of the kitchen table tightly with all his fingers. "Ooh, you feel sooo good! Oh, God, I need to cum!"

He didn't know how much longer he could hold on; their foreplay that had quickly turned desperate had nearly sent him over the edge already. Tim had dropped down over the table, spreading his legs wide. They'd always made love face to face, but at that moment, the adrenaline rushing through him had been so strong, he'd needed to lose that edge more than anything.

Leroy re-adjusted his grip on Tim's hips and speared his lover completely with his cock, his thrusts hard and fast, unrelenting and filling. Every stroke sent sparks through him, his end was so close he had to let go soon, But, he wanted Tim with him every step of the way, "Let go, Tim!" Leroy shouted as his orgasm rushed him, almost took him away, his grip paper thin. "Fly, love!"

"OH, GOD! LEROY!" Tim shouted as his own release tore through him, set free by the friction of his constant contact with the table edge, Leroy's words and his lover's obvious need to himself let go. "OOHHHHHHHHHHH !"

"TIIIIIIMMMMMMMM!" Leroy shouted as at last he let go, catching Tim on the way out over the moon.

*****NCIS*****

"I'll never be able to see that table again without seeing you spread out for me, remembering it all." Leroy commented, his voice thick with emotion, as they stood together at the sink, now cleaned up and just holding each other close.

Tim huffed a quiet laugh as he pulled back just enough to look his lover in the eye as they stood freely naked together. "Good. The more visual memories you have, the better the separation will be. Which reminds me, I have a little chore I need to get done before we head out tomorrow. It'll take me about thirty minutes, so don't let me forget."

"Gonna let me in on it?"

Tim shook his head. "It's a surprise. My going away present to you."

Leroy swallowed hard and nodded. "Okay."

Without anything else said between them, they turned and walked to the living room, as if reading each other's mind. At the fireplace they separated, Tim closing the shades and turning on a dimly lit lamp in the far corner of the room while Leroy built up the fire and stoked it until it was roaring and warm. They met up at the couch and were quick to settle comfortably, Tim stretched out lengthwise and Leroy snuggled on top of him, a blanket within reach for when the fire became a mere glowing ember.

In yet another experience Leroy was still adjusting to, Tim had insisted on holding his lover this time, whereas it had usually been the other way around. Leroy's heart swelled even as it ached with the thought of the upcoming six months of loneliness and he found that he had to blink repeatedly to beat back the tears that threatened to come.

"Let it out, Leroy." Tim whispered in his ear as he felt the older man shudder with the stress of holding his emotions in. "I've got you, let it out."

Wordlessly, Leroy let his breath out, ragged and harsh while the tears betrayed him and silently slipped down his face while Tim wrapped him in his arms and hugged him,

"I hate putting you through this." The younger man apologized mournfully as he hugged him closer. "I swore I would never hurt you."

With nothing more said, Tim silently held his lover as Leroy let go and let it out. Having found real love again and having to let it go for six months was hitting the older man hard, now that he'd slowed down and stopped fighting his own feelings on it. The silent tears were as relentless as the tremors wracking the older man's frame when they came.

With tears in his own eyes, Tim mentally sent up a prayer of thanks that Leroy was able to get it out before they had to part; had given up the fight to keep it all locked up. And that he was letting Tim help him through it.

They never moved from the couch that night. Leroy's emotional release exhausted him enough that he fell asleep in Tim's arms and Tim refused to let go of him even for a minute. The blanket that covered them both now kept them warm as the fire slowly died down to a faint glow with very little warmth.

It was their last night together and it broke Tim's heart.

*****NCIS*****

Early morning came and found Tim with a new resolve in place. There'd been enough tears shed and enough sorrow about this, to last them the whole six months he'd be gone. His plane was leaving at one this afternoon so all they had left together was the morning. He was determined to make it the best morning of Leroy's life.

Leaving the man sleeping on the couch, with a pillow under his head in place of Tim's chest, Tim stoked up the fire and put more wood on it before heading into the kitchen to start the coffee. While the coffee was brewing, Tim headed upstairs for a quick shower.

*****NCIS*****

Leroy awoke to the smell of fresh coffee and the warmth of a blazing fire in the hearth. Smiling at Tim's thoughtfulness, his heart tugged at the memory of last night. Hearing Tim take responsibility for what heartache this separation was causing Leroy had been hard. He didn't want the young man to feel guilty about it.

And he damned sure didn't want him feeling like he'd hurt the older man deliberately. It stayed on his mind as he headed to the kitchen for a cup of that coffee. These last few weeks had been the most alive and sensuous, loved and treasured Leroy had felt in a very long time.

There wasn't a hour of the day that went by that Leroy wasn't wishing he was making love to Tim. As the memories rolled through his mind, he poured his coffee and took a long drink of it. Soon enough, his mind came back to the present.

Speaking of which, it was time to show Tim just how much he meant to him; how connected and complete he felt with him; time to give the young man something tangible to hold onto while he was afloat; for them both to hold onto. Swallowing the last of his coffee, Leroy set the mug down, took a long glance at the table and quickly headed upstairs.

***NCIS***

As the hot cascading water pounded down on Tim in tendrils of therapeutic pinpoints, his skin began tingling. Closing his eyes, he cleared his mind of anything but this moment of relaxing, grabbing hold of it. Tim's eyes flew open in shock as two masculine hands began caressing his body from the top of his head on down. Wordlessly, Tim relaxed into his lover's touch, awed that Leroy wanted to do this for him after the stress filled night he'd had last night.

"Love you, Tim." Leroy murmured in his ear. "Want you to feel it."

Tim melted at his lover's words; melted into every touch Leroy showered him with now, fingers that ghosted over his nipples and dipped into his bellybutton and carved a heated path back up his side, all the way to his hair above his ear. Sliding inside the whorl of his lover's ear, Leroy let his fingers give every bit of tender touch they could, watching the younger man's body twitch in response.

Turning his lover gently around to face him, his lips descended on the younger man's in a kiss gentle and inviting as his hands gently held Tim's head in place, the kiss becoming their source of heat as they stoked the fire hotter with every stroke of their tongues.

Pulling back just far enough to catch his breath, Tim's heart pounded as his breath came raggedly, "Leroy," He groaned, his eyes locked on his lover's, the hot shower intensifying the pleasure coursing through them both.

As Tim's groan went straight to his already swelling cock, Leroy smiled lovingly at him. Reaching out, he took Tim's hands in his own and raised them above his head. Gently maneuvering the young man, his lover was soon backed against the shower wall, hands still held captive over his head in one of Leroy's hands.

The older man's free hand ghosted over Tim's cock, cupped him for a brief moment and came back up to his cheek, lovingly caressing him there as the young man's breathing hitched. His eyes almost glazed with the raw need his lover was awakening in him, Tim pushed himself into Leroy's touch, wanting more, needing it – just as the older man did the same, their cocks colliding in a jolt of breath-stealing electricity that quickly fed the fire they both felt rising up inside.

Gasping for air, Tim's head fell back against the wall with a dull 'thump', as his eyes closed in a moment of overwhelming hunger so strong he thought surely he'd drown in it. His own cock already pulsing and in desperate need of release, the older man forced himself to slow down. This was Tim's last time for six long months – their last time together – Leroy's gift to the man he loved and he wanted it to be memorable.

He caressed Tim's cheek once more, knowing his lover would open those beautiful green eyes for him. Although he thought himself prepared; the sight of Tim's orbs filled with raw passion, need and love was such a beautiful sight, it nearly stopped the older man's heart. All thoughts of what he'd wanted to say had just escaped in the overwhelming power of Tim's emotions laid bare.

Dragging in a ragged breath, Leroy slowly let it back out before once again, engaging his lover in a beautiful, breath-taking kiss that invited more exploration and possession.

With his passion ignited, Tim came alive, his body writhing into his lover's touch as best it could with his hands still held captive, his hips thrusting into Leroy's touch, a wanton moan slipping past his lips.

Breaking away from his lover's kiss, Leroy felt the reins of his self-control slipping with every touch of Tim's cock against his own, every thrust of Tim's body against his own.

Desperately yanking back the control he needed, he forced himself to calm his breathing and step under the heat of the shower. Drawing his lover to him, he wrapped him in his arms, letting one hand slip down to Tim's throbbing cock and coax it toward the release he knew Tim needed to soar with one more time.

Snuggling into Leroy's embrace while still under the shower felt heavenly, Tim was nearly purring. When his lover's hand captured his still hard and aching cock once more and began making love to it with his hand, his knees nearly buckled, "Ooh, Leroy!"

The moan came from deep in his throat as his inhibitions faded away and Tim threw his head back, groaning in pure pleasure, thrusting his cock further into his lover's hand, Leroy's free hand holding him up. "OOOh, don't stop! Oh, God, let me inside, please!" Tim's guttural plea poured gasoline on the fire already burning under Leroy's skin.

His lover's cock spasmed in his hand at his words and Leroy nearly lost his grip on his own release as he quickly pulled on Tim's cock one more time as he groaned in frustration and need. "Hurry, Tim!"

Tim's control nearly snapped at the invitation as he pushed his lover to the wall under the cooling shower, nudged his legs apart with his feet, lined himself up to Leroy's entrance and pushed himself just inside, stopping to catch his breath as the sensuousness of what he was doing captured his heart for a minute, faltering his breathing and handing him back his control.

Being able to make love to Leroy like this meant far too much to him to be reckless or ruthless unless the man asked for it out of his own need for it. "Oh, God, Leroy." He murmured lovingly as his hands reached around and caressed the older man's hardened pulsing cock lovingly.

The hunger coursing through his veins raging out of control, Leroy gutturally cried out, "Give it to me, Tim!" pushing himself backwards onto his lover's cock, wanting more.

Tim's control disappeared, as he gave his lover every ounce of raw hunger he was feeling for him, letting himself go, he pounding himself into his lover's warm tight channel that milked his rod just right, over and over, hard and fast, the pleasure rippling through him in glorious waves and leaving him breathless yet hungry for more. "God, Leroy, so good! So tight! Oh, God, love, I could stay right here forever." Tim moaned as he hit his lover's prostate, several times with his strokes, loving the pleasured groans and writhing that came from Leroy as a result.

Together they rode the waves of ecstasy that crashed over them, taking them out to sea together, in a rush so powerful, both were left breathless and exhausted as they wrapped themselves in each other's arms and held on to each other for what time they had left.

*****NCIS*****

Twelve-thirty found them solemnly quiet as they stood before Leon Vance at the airport tarmac, the military plane taking Tim to his assigned ship, due to arrive in five minutes. When they'd arrived at the airport some ten minutes before, they'd been surprised to find the Director there waiting for them. Silently, he'd watched them approach him and assume a position of guarded interest.

"Agent McGee. It's my understanding that the rest of your team said their good byes yesterday, Agent Gibbs."

"Not usually the type, Leon." Gibbs reminded his boss.

"You're right, Gibbs, I'm not. Then again, that's not why I'm here. I'm here because I have new information, regarding Agent McGee's term as Agent Afloat. After informing the Secretary of the Navy of this change within the Agency, he's made it very clear that the Agency's best electronic mind doesn't belong hidden away on a ship, chasing illegal card games and late night rendezvous."

Taking a minute for effect, Vance cleared his throat and continued on. "However, he does recognize Agent McGee's need to fulfill that requirement for any thought of career advancement. The precedent on the length of that time afloat was set by Agent DiNozzo with four months but even that time frame had the SecNav nervous. He's lowered the required time served – in your case – Agent McGee – to three."

Tim's mouth dropped in shock as his heart did a double take. Unable to speak, he found Leroy speaking for him, his eyes unusually bright. "He only has to serve three months?"

"That's right. Not sure D.C. will be his assignment when he gets back, but his time on board the carrier will be up then. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got an agency to run. Agent McGee. Make sure you stay well; take those seasick precautions and keep in touch. I expect a weekly report in my email by 1800 every Friday."

"Yes, Sir." Tim replied seriously.

"Good luck." Vance shook Tim's hand and turned to walk away.

As the Director reached the car waiting for him at the edge of the tarmac, the noise of the incoming military aircraft filled the air around them. Feeling tears prick behind his eyelids, Tim blinked several times to chase them away as he watched the plane descend to the tarmac. Taking a deep breath, he slowly let it out as he looked at his lover. "Only three months, Leroy."

"Twelve weeks." His lover offered with a strained, lopsided grin.

"We can do this." Tim vowed as he held up three pieces of paper high enough that only Leroy could see them. Lifting one higher than the other two, he explained. "This one is the email that will keep us connected to each other and the rest of the world out."

Leroy smiled weakly as he held his hand out. Tim laid the paper in the older man's hand. "This one explains the going away present I left you at the house. I'll give you a hint. Think video cameras, dvd player and the last three weeks we've had together."

As Leroy froze in shock. Tim hurried to explain he'd only recorded them so Leroy could replay their time together in full color – if he wanted to. He promised he wouldn't be upset if the older man didn't want to. Without giving Leroy time to answer, Tim, surprisingly, slipped the third folded piece of paper into Leroy's coat pocket and his other hand in his; squeezing tight with a whispered request.

"Anytime you need something to help you get to the next moment, read this and remember it holds all my love for you and don't forget I'm coming back - to you."

Stepping back, Tim smiled with all the love he had in his heart as they looked at each other with hope and expectation in both their eyes – and each other's secret email addresses in their pockets

Without another word, Tim turned and walked to the plane and boarded, never once looking back. Watching him walk away, Leroy felt a piece of his heart break off and go with him. Breathing hard, he forced himself to get through this with a straight face.

As the plane lifted up into the air, his fingers clenched around the paper Tim had slipped into his pocket with those whispered words of encouragement. With a ragged breath, the older man drew the paper out and blinked, preparing himself to read what his lover wanted him to hold onto in his absence. Leroy felt the tears sting his eyes and his throat close up as he looked down at the paper and saw the words of Judy Garland staring back at him, knowing Tim meant them from the bottom of his heart.

_"For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul"._

~~FINIS~~ _(for now)_

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><p><em>P.S. - All flight times, accommodations and locations our guys visited on their vacation are real - as found on internet searches<em>

_oh...and yes their story will continue on..._


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